The ferroelectric degenerate semiconductor Sn{sub 1-{delta}}Te exhibits superconductivity with critical temperatures, T{sub c}, of up to 0.3 K for hole densities of order 10{sup 21} cm{sup -3}. When doped on the tin site with greater than x{sub c} = 1.7(3)% indium atoms, however, superconductivity is observed up to 2 K, though the carrier density does not change significantly. We present specific heat data showing that a stronger pairinginteraction is present for x > x{sub c} than for x < x{sub c}. By examining the effect of In dopant atoms on both T{sub c} and the temperature of the ferroelectric structural phase transition, T{sub SPT}, we show that phonon modes related to this transition are not responsible for this T{sub c} enhancement, and discuss a plausible candidate based on the unique properties of the indium impurities.

The ferroelectric degenerate semiconductor Sn{sub 1-{delta}}Te exhibits superconductivity with critical temperatures, T{sub c}, of up to 0.3 K for hole densities of order 10{sup 21} cm{sup -3}. When doped on the tin site with greater than x{sub c} = 1.7(3)% indium atoms, however, superconductivity is observed up to 2 K, though the carrier density does not change significantly. We present specific heat data showing that a stronger pairinginteraction is present for x > x{sub c} than for x < x{sub c}. By examining the effect of In dopant atoms on both T{sub c} and the temperature of the ferroelectric structural phase transition, T{sub SPT}, we show that phonon modes related to this transition are not responsible for this T{sub c} enhancement, and discuss a plausible candidate based on the unique properties of the indium impurities.

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) is the first and best known superconducting semiconductor. It exhibits an extremely low carrier density threshold for superconductivity, and possesses a phase diagram similar to that of high-temperature superconductors--two factors that suggest an unconventional pairing mechanism. Despite sustained interest for 50 years, direct experimental insight into the nature of electron pairing in SrTiO3 has remained elusive. Here we perform transport experiments with nanowire-based single-electron transistors at the interface between SrTiO3 and a thin layer of lanthanum aluminate, LaAlO3. Electrostatic gating reveals a series of two-electron conductance resonances-paired electron states--that bifurcate above a critical pairing field Bp of about 1-4 tesla, an order of magnitude larger than the superconducting critical magnetic field. For magnetic fields below Bp, these resonances are insensitive to the applied magnetic field; for fields in excess of Bp, the resonances exhibit a linear Zeeman-like energy splitting. Electron pairing is stable at temperatures as high as 900 millikelvin, well above the superconducting transition temperature (about 300 millikelvin). These experiments demonstrate the existence of a robust electronic phase in which electrons pair without forming a superconducting state. Key experimental signatures are captured by a model involving an attractive Hubbard interaction that describes real-space electron pairing as a precursor to superconductivity. PMID:25971511

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) is the first and best known superconducting semiconductor. It exhibits an extremely low carrier density threshold for superconductivity, and possesses a phase diagram similar to that of high-temperature superconductors--two factors that suggest an unconventional pairing mechanism. Despite sustained interest for 50 years, direct experimental insight into the nature of electron pairing in SrTiO3 has remained elusive. Here we perform transport experiments with nanowire-based single-electron transistors at the interface between SrTiO3 and a thin layer of lanthanum aluminate, LaAlO3. Electrostatic gating reveals a series of two-electron conductance resonances--paired electron states--that bifurcate above a critical pairing field Bp of about 1-4 tesla, an order of magnitude larger than the superconducting critical magnetic field. For magnetic fields below Bp, these resonances are insensitive to the applied magnetic field; for fields in excess of Bp, the resonances exhibit a linear Zeeman-like energy splitting. Electron pairing is stable at temperatures as high as 900 millikelvin, well above the superconducting transition temperature (about 300 millikelvin). These experiments demonstrate the existence of a robust electronic phase in which electrons pair without forming a superconducting state. Key experimental signatures are captured by a model involving an attractive Hubbard interaction that describes real-space electron pairing as a precursor to superconductivity.

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) is the first and best known superconducting semiconductor. It exhibits an extremely low carrier density threshold for superconductivity, and possesses a phase diagram similar to that of high-temperature superconductors--two factors that suggest an unconventional pairing mechanism. Despite sustained interest for 50 years, direct experimental insight into the nature of electron pairing in SrTiO3 has remained elusive. Here we perform transport experiments with nanowire-based single-electron transistors at the interface between SrTiO3 and a thin layer of lanthanum aluminate, LaAlO3. Electrostatic gating reveals a series of two-electron conductance resonances--paired electron states--that bifurcate above a critical pairing field Bp of about 1-4 tesla, an order of magnitude larger than the superconducting critical magnetic field. For magnetic fields below Bp, these resonances are insensitive to the applied magnetic field; for fields in excess of Bp, the resonances exhibit a linear Zeeman-like energy splitting. Electron pairing is stable at temperatures as high as 900 millikelvin, well above the superconducting transition temperature (about 300 millikelvin). These experiments demonstrate the existence of a robust electronic phase in which electrons pair without forming a superconducting state. Key experimental signatures are captured by a model involving an attractive Hubbard interaction that describes real-space electron pairing as a precursor to superconductivity. Support from AFOSR, ONR, ARO, NSF, DOE and NSSEFF is gratefully acknowledged.

Using the ab initio anisotropic Eliashberg theory including Coulomb interactions, we investigate the electron-phonon interaction and the pairing mechanism in the recently-reported superconducting Ca-intercalated bilayer graphene. We find that C6CaC6 can support phonon-mediated superconductivity with a critical temperature Tc = 6.8-8.1 K, in good agreement with experimental data. Our calculations indicate that the low-energy Caxy vibrations are critical to the pairing, and that it should be possible to resolve two distinct superconducting gaps on the electron and hole Fermi surface pockets. PMID:26892805

Using the ab initio anisotropic Eliashberg theory including Coulomb interactions, we investigate the electron-phonon interaction and the pairing mechanism in the recently-reported superconducting Ca-intercalated bilayer graphene. We find that C6CaC6 can support phonon-mediated superconductivity with a critical temperature Tc = 6.8–8.1 K, in good agreement with experimental data. Our calculations indicate that the low-energy Caxy vibrations are critical to the pairing, and that it should be possible to resolve two distinct superconducting gaps on the electron and hole Fermi surface pockets. PMID:26892805

Using the ab initio anisotropic Eliashberg theory including Coulomb interactions, we investigate the electron-phonon interaction and the pairing mechanism in the recently-reported superconducting Ca-intercalated bilayer graphene. We find that C6CaC6 can support phonon-mediated superconductivity with a critical temperature Tc = 6.8-8.1 K, in good agreement with experimental data. Our calculations indicate that the low-energy Caxy vibrations are critical to the pairing, and that it should be possible to resolve two distinct superconducting gaps on the electron and hole Fermi surface pockets.

A pairing Hamiltonian H(Γ) with a non-separable interaction kernel Γ produces HTS for relatively weak interactions. The doping and temperature dependence of Γ(x,T) and the chemical potential μ(x) is determined by a probabilistic filling of the electronic states in the cuprate unit cell. A diverse set of HTS and normal state properties is examined, including the SC phase transition boundary TC(x), SC gap Δ(x,T), entropy S(x,T), specific heat C(x,T), and spin susceptibility χs(x,T). Detailed x,T agreement with cuprate experiment is obtained for all properties.

Strontium titanate (SrTiO3) exhibits an extremely low carrier density threshold for superconductivity, and possesses a phase diagram similar to high-temperature superconductors--two factors that suggest an unconventional pairing mechanism. We describe transport experiments with nanowire-based quantum dots localized at the interface between SrTiO3 and LaAlO3. Electrostatic gating of the quantum dot reveals a series of two-electron conductance resonances--paired electron states--that bifurcate above a critical magnetic field Bp 1-4 Tesla, an order of magnitude larger than the superconducting critical magnetic field. For B Bp, the resonances exhibit a linear Zeeman-like energy splitting. Electron pairing is stable at temperatures as high as T = 900 mK, far above the superconducting transition temperature (Tc 300 mK). These experiments demonstrate the existence of a robust electronic phase in which electrons pair without forming a superconducting state. Key experimental signatures are captured by an attractive-U Hubbard model that describes real-space electron pairing as a precursor to superconductivity. This work was supported by ARO MURI W911NF-08-1-0317 (J.L.), AFOSR MURI FA9550-10-1-0524 (C.-B.E., J.L.) and FA9550-12-1-0342 (C.-B.E.), and grants from the National Science Foundation DMR-1104191 (J.L.), DMR.

A profound problem in modern condensed matter physics is discovering and understanding the nature of fluctuations and their coupling to fermions in cuprates, which lead to high-temperature superconductivity and the invariably associated strange metal state. We report the quantitative determination of normal and pairing self-energies, made possible by laser-based angle-resolved photoemission measurements of unprecedented accuracy and stability. Through a precise inversion procedure, both the effective interactions in the attractive d-wave symmetry and the repulsive part in the full symmetry are determined. The latter is nearly angle-independent. Near T c, both interactions are nearly independent of frequency and have almost the same magnitude over the complete energy range of up to about 0.4 eV, except for a low-energy feature at around 50 meV that is present only in the repulsive part, which has less than 10% of the total spectral weight. Well below T c, they both change similarly, with superconductivity-induced features at low energies. Besides finding the pairing self-energy and the attractive interactions for the first time, these results expose the central paradox of the problem of high T c: how the same frequency-independent fluctuations can dominantly scatter at angles ±π/2 in the attractive channel to give d-wave pairing and lead to angle-independent repulsive scattering. The experimental results are compared with available theoretical calculations based on antiferromagnetic fluctuations, the Hubbard model, and quantum-critical fluctuations of the loop-current order. PMID:26973872

A profound problem in modern condensed matter physics is discovering and understanding the nature of fluctuations and their coupling to fermions in cuprates, which lead to high-temperature superconductivity and the invariably associated strange metal state. We report the quantitative determination of normal and pairing self-energies, made possible by laser-based angle-resolved photoemission measurements of unprecedented accuracy and stability. Through a precise inversion procedure, both the effective interactions in the attractive d-wave symmetry and the repulsive part in the full symmetry are determined. The latter is nearly angle-independent. Near Tc, both interactions are nearly independent of frequency and have almost the same magnitude over the complete energy range of up to about 0.4 eV, except for a low-energy feature at around 50 meV that is present only in the repulsive part, which has less than 10% of the total spectral weight. Well below Tc, they both change similarly, with superconductivity-induced features at low energies. Besides finding the pairing self-energy and the attractive interactions for the first time, these results expose the central paradox of the problem of high Tc: how the same frequency-independent fluctuations can dominantly scatter at angles ±π/2 in the attractive channel to give d-wave pairing and lead to angle-independent repulsive scattering. The experimental results are compared with available theoretical calculations based on antiferromagnetic fluctuations, the Hubbard model, and quantum-critical fluctuations of the loop-current order. PMID:26973872

It is fifty years since John Bardeen, Leon Cooper and Bob Schrieffer presented the microscopic theory of superconductivity. At a wonderful conference in Urbana the 'good old days' were remembered, and the challenges ahead surveyed.

Conventional Cooper pairs form from well-defined electronic quasiparticles, making the internal structure of the pair irrelevant. However, in the 115 family of superconductors, the heavy electrons are forming as they pair and the internal pair structure becomes as important as the pairing mechanism. Conventional spin fluctuation mediated pairing cannot capture the direct transition from incoherent local moments to heavy fermion superconductivity, but the formation of composite pairs favored by the two channel Kondo effect can. These composite pairs are local d-wave pairs formed by two conduction electrons in orthogonal Kondo channels screening the same local moment. Composite pairing shares the same symmetries as magnetically mediated pairing, however, only composite pairing necessarily involves a redistribution of charge within the unit cell originating from the internal pair structure, both as a monopole (valence change) and a quadrupole effect. This redistribution will onset sharply at the superconducting transition temperature. A smoking gun test for composite pairing is therefore a sharp signature at Tc - for example, a cusp in the Mossbauer isomer shift in NpPd5Al2 or in the NQR shift in (Ce,Pu)CoIn5.

Pinpointing the microscopic mechanism for superconductivity has proven to be one of the most outstanding challenges in the physics of correlated quantum matter. Thus far, the most direct evidence for an electronic pairing mechanism is the observation of a new symmetry of the order parameter, as done in the cuprate high-temperature superconductors. Alternatively, global, topological invariants allow for a sharp discrimination between states of matter that cannot be transformed into each other adiabatically. Here we propose an unconventional pairing state for the electron fluid in two-dimensional oxide interfaces and establish a direct link to the emergence of non-trivial topological invariants. Topological signatures, in particular Majorana edge states, can then be used to detect the microscopic origin of superconductivity. In addition, we show that also the density wave states that compete with superconductivity sensitively depend on the nature of the pairinginteraction.

Pinpointing the microscopic mechanism for superconductivity has proven to be one of the most outstanding challenges in the physics of correlated quantum matter. Thus far, the most direct evidence for an electronic pairing mechanism is the observation of a new symmetry of the order parameter, as done in the cuprate high-temperature superconductors. Alternatively, global, topological invariants allow for a sharp discrimination between states of matter that cannot be transformed into each other adiabatically. Here we propose an unconventional pairing state for the electron fluid in two-dimensional oxide interfaces and establish a direct link to the emergence of non-trivial topological invariants. Topological signatures, in particular Majorana edge states, can then be used to detect the microscopic origin of superconductivity. In addition, we show that also the density wave states that compete with superconductivity sensitively depend on the nature of the pairinginteraction. PMID:25629433

The charge-imbalance relaxation rate, 1/F*{sub T{sub Q*}}, has been measured in dirty superconducting AlEr films in which Er is a pair-breaking magnetic impurity that induces charge relaxation through elastic exchange scattering. Measurements were made in the range 0.1 {approx}< {Delta}(T)/k{sub B}T{sub c} {approx}< 1.4 for Er concentrations varying from 21 to 1660 at. ppm that produced estimated exchange scattering rates, {tau}{sub S}{sup -1}, from about 10{sup 9} sec{sup -1} to 5 x 10{sup 10} sec{sup -1}. Measured values of 1/F*{sub T{sub Q*}} were in good agreement with the Schmid-Schoen expression, 1/F*{sub T{sub Q*}}=({pi}{Delta}/4k{sub B}T{sub c}{tau}{sub E}) x (1+2{tau}{sub E}/{tau}{sub S}){sup 1/2}, for {Delta}/k{sub B}T{sub c} {approx}< 0.8, where {tau}{sub E}{sup -1} is the electron-phonon scattering rate estimated from the measured transition temperature. For larger values of {Delta}/k{sub B}T{sub c}, the relaxation rate increased less rapidly with {Delta}. The appropriate Boltzmann equation was solved on a computer to obtain values for 1/F*{sub T{sub Q*}} in the range 0.5 {approx}< T/T{sub c} {approx}< 0.999999. The computed values of 1/F*{sub T{sub Q*}} agreed with several analytic expressions valid for {Delta}/k{sub B}T{sub c} << 1, but not with the experimental data: The computed curves increased more rapidly than linearly with {Delta}/k{sub B}T{sub c} near T{sub c}, and the shape of the 1/F*{sub T{sub Q*}} vs {Delta}/k{sub B}T{sub c} curves was qualitatively different. This discrepancy suggests that either the generally accepted expression for exchange charge relaxation is incorrect, or that the Boltzmann equation is inappropriate for these calculations.

Two-dimensional (2D) hetero-bonded semiconductor interfaces have been suggested as candidate geometries where excitonic superconductivity [2] - and the greatly enhanced where TC compared to phonon mechanisms mediation - can be realized. Among experimental efforts, epitaxially grown CuCl on Si (111) has reportedly exhibited excitonic superconductivity at 60 ~150 K. Our first-principles calculations confirm 2D metallicity at the interfaces due to charge transfer by valence mismatch. [3] The excitonic mechanism is investigated by calculating the kernel function, K (ω) , for the average of the electronic contributions to the effective interaction.[4] The attractive interaction found in the CuCl/Si superlattice indicates the feasibility of excitonic pairing for a certain frequency range. US Department of Energy (DE-FG02-05ER45372)

Here the author briefly reviews the dynamics of sinking satellites and the effect of companions on elliptical galaxies. The author then discusses recent work on interacting disk systems, and finally focuses on a favorite interactingpair, NGC 5194/5195.

The properties of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides arising from strong spin-orbit interactions and valley-dependent Berry curvature effects have recently attracted considerable interest. Although single-particle and excitonic phenomena related to spin-valley coupling have been extensively studied, the effects of spin-valley coupling on collective quantum phenomena remain less well understood. Here we report the observation of superconducting monolayer NbSe2 with an in-plane upper critical field of more than six times the Pauli paramagnetic limit, by means of magnetotransport measurements. The effect can be interpreted in terms of the competing Zeeman effect and large intrinsic spin-orbit interactions in non-centrosymmetric NbSe2 monolayers, where the electron spin is locked to the out-of-plane direction. Our results provide strong evidence of unconventional Ising pairing protected by spin-momentum locking, and suggest further studies of non-centrosymmetric superconductivity with unique spin and valley degrees of freedom in the two-dimensional limit.

We report that anion-π and cation-π interactions can occur on the same aromatic surface. Interactions of this type are referred to as ion pair-π interactions. Their existence, nature, and significance are elaborated in the context of spectral tuning, ion binding in solution, and activation of cell-penetrating peptides. The origin of spectral tuning by ion pair-π interactions is unraveled with energy-minimized excited-state structures: The solvent- and pH-independent red shift of absorption and emission of push-pull fluorophores originates from antiparallel ion pair-π attraction to their polarized excited state. In contrast, the complementary parallel ion pair-π repulsion is spectroscopically irrelevant, in part because of charge neutralization by intriguing proton and electron transfers on excited push-pull surfaces. With time-resolved fluorescence measurements, very important differences between antiparallel and parallel ion pair-π interactions are identified and quantitatively dissected from interference by aggregation and ion pair dissociation. Contributions from hydrogen bonding, proton transfer, π-π interactions, chromophore twisting, ion pairing, and self-assembly are systematically addressed and eliminated by concise structural modifications. Ion-exchange studies in solution, activation of cell-penetrating peptides in vesicles, and computational analysis all imply that the situation in the ground state is complementary to spectral tuning in the excited state; i.e., parallel rather than antiparallel ion pair-π interactions are preferred, despite repulsion from the push-pull dipole. The overall quite complete picture of ion pair-π interactions provided by these remarkably coherent yet complex results is expected to attract attention throughout the multiple disciplines of chemistry involved. PMID:26291550

3 we show that the pair-density-wave superconducting state emergent in extended Heisenberg-Hubbard models in two-leg ladders is topological in the presence of an Ising spin symmetry and supports a Majorana zero mode (MZM) at an open boundary and at a junction with a uniform d-wave one-dimensional superconductor. Similarly to a conventional finite-momentum paired state, the order parameter of the PDW state is a charge-2e field with finite momentum. However, the order parameter here is a quartic electron operator and conventional mean-field theory cannot be applied to study this state. We use bosonization to show that the 1D PDW state has a MZM at a boundary. This superconducting state is an exotic topological phase supporting Majorana fermions with finite-momentum pairing fields and charge-4e superconductivity. In chapter 4 we provide a quasi-one-dimensional model which can support a PDW state. The model consists of an array of strongly-interacting one-dimensional systems, where the one-dimensional systems are coupled to each other by local interactions.Within the interchain mean-field theory (MFT), we find several SC states from the model, including a conventional uniform SC state, PDW SC state, and a coexisting phase of the uniform SC and PDW states. In this quasi-1D regime we can treat the strong correlation physics essentially exactly using bosonization methods and the crossover to the 2D system by means of interchain MFT. The resulting critical temperatures of the SC phases generically exhibit a power-law scaling with the coupling constants of the array, instead of the essential singularity found in weak-coupling BCS-type theories. Electronic excitations with an open Fermi surface, which emerge from the electronic Luttinger liquid systems below their crossover temperature to the Fermi liquid, are then coupled to the SC order parameters via the proximity effect. From the Fermi surface thus coupled to the SC order parameters, we calculate the quasiparticle

We analyze antiferromagnetism and superconductivity within the renormalization group(RG) technique in novel Fe-based superconductors using the itinerant model of small electron and hole pockets near (0; 0) and (π,π), respectively, originating from the two strongly hybridized orbitals. We find that, for this model, the bare interactions in the Cooper channel are repulsive, and superconductivity does not occur at the mean-field level. However, under RG the effective interaction in the superconducting channel changes sign and becomes attractive. Furthermore, the effective interactions in antiferromagnetic and superconducting channels logarithmically flow towards the same absolute values at low energies, i.e., both must be treated on equal footings. The magnetic instability comes first for equal sizes of the two pockets, but looses to superconductivity upon doping. The superconducting gap has no nodes, but changes sign between the two Fermi surfaces (extended s-wave symmetry). We argue that the T dependencies of the spin susceptibility and NMR relaxation rate for such state are exponential only at very low T, and can be well fitted by power-laws over a wide T range below Tc. We further show that below Tc excitonic resonance appears in the spin excitations spectrum. [4pt] [1] M. Korshunov, and I. Eremin, Phys. Rev. B 78, 140509(R) (2008) [0pt] [2] A.V. Chubukov, D. Efremov, I. Eremin, Phys. Rev. B 78, 134512 (2008). [0pt] [3] M.M. Korshunov and I. Eremin, Europhys. Lett. 83, 67003 (2008).

We have studied the magnetic field or disorder induced insulating and metallic phases in amorphous Ta superconducting thin films. The evolution of the nonlinear transport in the insulating phase exhibits a non-monotonic behavior as the magnetic field is increased. We suggest that this observation could be evidence of the presence of localized Cooper pairs in the insulating phase. As the metallic phase intervenes the superconducting and insulating states in Ta films, this result further reveals that Cooper pairs also exist in the metallic ground state.

Its direct momentum sensitivity confers to angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) a unique perspective in investigating the superconducting gap of multi-band systems. In this review we discuss ARPES studies on the superconducting gap of high-temperature Fe-based superconductors. We show that while Fermi-surface-driven pairing mechanisms fail to provide a universal scheme for the Fe-based superconductors, theoretical approaches based on short-range interactions lead to a more robust and universal description of superconductivity in these materials. Our findings are also discussed in the broader context of unconventional superconductivity. PMID:26153847

We investigate the Cooper-pair propagation and the Josephson effect in graphene under conditions in which the distance L between superconducting electrodes is much larger than the width W of the contacts. In the case of undoped graphene, we show that supercurrents may exist with a spatial decay proportional to W2/L3 , reminiscent of the behavior of the critical current in disordered normal metals. We observe that there is in general a crossover temperature T*˜vF/kBL that marks the onset of the strong decay of the supercurrent and that corresponds to the scale above which the Cooper pairs are disrupted by thermal effects during their propagation. We also show that the spatial decay of the critical current changes upon doping into a 1/L2 behavior, opening the possibility to observe a supercurrent over length scales above 1μm at suitable doping levels.

Understanding the detailed behaviour of superconductingpair breaking photon detectors such as Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) requires knowledge of the nonequilibrium quasiparticle energy distributions. We have previously calculated the steady state distributions resulting from uniform absorption of monochromatic sub gap and above gap frequency radiation by thin films. In this work, we use the same methods to calculate the effect of illumination by broadband sources, such as thermal radiation from astrophysical phenomena or from the readout system. Absorption of photons at multiple above gap frequencies is shown to leave unchanged the structure of the quasiparticle energy distribution close to the superconducting gap. Hence for typical absorbed powers, we find the effects of absorption of broadband pair breaking radiation can simply be considered as the sum of the effects of absorption of many monochromatic sources. Distribution averaged quantities, like quasiparticle generation efficiency η, match exactly a weighted average over the bandwidth of the source of calculations assuming a monochromatic source. For sub gap frequencies, however, distributing the absorbed power across multiple frequencies does change the low energy quasiparticle distribution. For moderate and high absorbed powers, this results in a significantly larger η-a higher number of excess quasiparticles for a broadband source compared to a monochromatic source of equal total absorbed power. Typically in KIDs the microwave power absorbed has a very narrow bandwidth, but in devices with broad resonance characteristics (low quality factors), this increase in η may be measurable.

Forty pairs of breeding Red-faced Warblers (Cardellina rubrifrons) were observed in 1992 and 1993 on the Mogollon Rim, Arizona. Intrusions by extra-pair males, interactions between pair members, and other pairinteraction behaviors were recorded. The majority of intrusions occurred during the building stage of the nesting cycle. Males responded to intrusions during nest building by decreasing intra-pair distance. Males maintained shorter intra-pair distances by following the female when she initiated movements and by not initiating pair movements themselves. Intra-pair distances were as short or shorter during the incubation period as during nest building, and were shorter during incubation than during egg laying. Males continued to follow females beyond the expected fertile period. Possible explanations for continued mate following include: males guard their mates against predators, males guard their paternity for future nesting attempts, and males respond to extra-pair male intrusions, which continue during incubation.

We present the results of precise correlated-electron calculations on the monomer lattices of the organic charge-transfer solids κ -(BEDT-TTF) 2X for 32 and 64 molecular sites. Our calculations are for band parameters corresponding to X =Cu[N (CN) 2]Cl and Cu2(CN) 3, which are semiconducting antiferromagnetic and quantum spin liquid, respectively, at ambient pressure. We have performed our calculations for variable electron densities ρ per BEDT-TTF molecule, with ρ ranging from 1 to 2. We find that d -wave superconductingpair-pair correlations are enhanced by electron-electron interactions only for a narrow carrier concentration about ρ =1.5 , which is precisely the carrier concentration where superconductivity in the charge-transfer solids occurs. Our results indicate that the enhancement in pair-pair correlations is not related to antiferromagnetic order, but to a proximate hidden spin-singlet state that manifests itself as a charge-ordered state in other charge-transfer solids. Long-range superconducting order does not appear to be present in the purely electronic model, suggesting that electron-phonon interactions also must play a role in a complete theory of superconductivity.

The Eliashberg theory generalized using peculiar properties of two-band electron–phonon (EP) systems is employed for studying T{sub c} in two-band materials (in particular, pnictides). In view of probably strong EP coupling, we take into account pairing within the entire width of the electron band, not only in a narrow layer at the Fermi surface. It is found that the effect of pairing of electrons belonging to different bands is a decisive factor for manifestation of the effect of high T{sub c} in these materials. It is shown that in materials analogous to pnictides, high T{sub c} values are reproduced by the two-band spectral function of electron–phonon interaction. The existence of one more family of two-band high-temperature materials with a superconducting transition temperature T{sub c} comparable to that in cuprates is predicted.

A local interaction between photons can be engineered by coupling a nonlinear system to a transmission line. The required transmission line can be conveniently formed from a chain of Josephson junctions. The nonlinearity is generated by side-coupling this chain to a Cooper pair box. We propose to probe the resulting photon-photon interactions via their effect on the current-voltage characteristic of a voltage-biased Josephson junction connected to the transmission line. Considering the Cooper pair box to be in the weakly anharmonic regime, we find that the dc current through the probe junction yields features around the voltages 2 e V =n ℏ ωs , where ωs is the plasma frequency of the superconducting circuit. The features at n ≥2 are a direct signature of the photon-photon interaction in the system.

A general formalism of quantized charge transfer polarization waves was developed. The nature of possible superconductivepairing between oxygen holes is discussed. Unlike optical phonons, these polarization fields will give rise to dielectric bipolarons or bipolaron bubbles. In the weak coupling limit, a new class of superconductivity is to be expected.

In this letter, we propose a modified attractive Hubbard model at half filling that can exhibit superconductivity through η-pairing mechanism in spin-density wave representation and derive a concise relationship between the energy disparity and the single-particle energy spectrum. This relationship, in the two limits of U, clearly shows that the system does not display superconductivity for very low doping concentration. but demonstrates superconductivity when the doping concentration exceeds a certain critical value. This conclusion is in qualitative agreement with the familiar experiments on high-Tc superconductivity.

Detailed spectroscopic and imaging observations of colliding elliptical galaxies revealed unmistakable diagnostic signatures of the tidal interactions. It is possible to compare both the distorted luminosity distributions and the disturbed internal rotation profiles with numerical simulations in order to model the strength of the tidal gravitational field acting within a given pair of galaxies. Using the best-fit numerical model, one can then measure directly the mass of a specific interacting binary system. This technique applies to individual pairs and therefore complements the classical methods of measuring the masses of galaxy pairs in well-defined statistical samples. The 'personalized' modeling of galaxy pairs also permits the derivation of each binary's orbit, spatial orientation, and interaction timescale. Similarly, one can probe the tides in less-detailed observations of disturbed galaxies in order to estimate some of the physical parameters for larger samples of interacting galaxy pairs. These parameters are useful inputs to the more universal problems of (1) the galaxy merger rate, (2) the strength and duration of the driving forces behind tidally stimulated phenomena (e.g., starbursts and maybe quasi steller objects), and (3) the identification of long-lived signatures of interaction/merger events.

The author presents a review and reformulation of the author`s recent nonlocal-nonhamiltonian generalization of the standard BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer) theory of electron pairing in superconductors, here called iso-superconductivity or iso-standard model for short, by drawing two analogies. The first analogy is a geometrical (relativistic) one between the internal (isominkowskian) structures of the neutral pion and the Cooper pair envisaged in the generalization; and the second analogy is a dynamical (fluid mechanics) one between the classical Hamilton-Santilli limit of the generalization and its apparent local/nonlocal two-dimensional (London) superfluid mechanics realizations for flows in the CuO{sub 2} planes of the high-T{sub c} cuprate superconductors. By using the analogies and physical considerations, the author elucidates the origins of the interactions responsible for the fluctuations in the iso-characteristics of the electron within the pair due to the mutual overlapping of the paired electron wavefunctions. The fluctuations are defined in terms of a single quantity, namely an integral operator or {open_quotes}iso unit{close_quotes}. 33 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.

Compared to Hg-cuprate, the origin that the dz2 orbital suppresses the d-wave superconductive (SC) pairs in La-cuprate is studied based on an effective two-orbital t-J-U model by using the Kotliar-Ruckenstein (KR) slave-boson technique. By analyzing the orbital-dependent electron distribution, it is elaborated that the double occupancy of dx2-y2 orbital, caused by the dz2 orbital mixture, should be responsible for the suppression of the d-wave SC pairs in La-cuprate. When the Coulomb interaction U increases, the ground state hosting the large double occupancy of dx2-y2 orbital in La-cuprate is stabilized by the localization of the carriers due to the Coulomb-blocking instead of reducing the double occupancy by the way of lowering of Coulomb potential energy. Therefore, it could be concluded that the mechanism that the double occupancy destructs against d-wave SC pairs is robust even if the strong Coulomb interaction exists in the La-based compounds.

Since the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in cuprates, proposals have been made that pairing may be local, in particular in underdoped samples. Furthermore, we briefly review evidence for local pairs from our experiments on thin films of La 2–xSrxCuO4, synthesized by atomic layer-by-layer molecular beam epitaxy (ALL-MBE).

In classical superconductors an energy gap and phase coherence appear simultaneously with pairing at the transition to the superconducting state. In high-temperature superconductors, the possibility that pairing and phase coherence are distinct and independent processes has led to intense experimental search of their separate manifestations. Using femtosecond spectroscopy methods we now show that it is possible to clearly separate fluctuation dynamics of the superconductingpairing amplitude from the phase relaxation above the critical transition temperature. Empirically establishing a close correspondence between the superfluid density measured by THz spectroscopy and superconducting optical pump-probe response over a wide region of temperature, we find that in differently doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ crystals the pairing gap amplitude monotonically extends well beyond Tc, while the phase coherence shows a pronounced power-law divergence as T → Tc, thus showing that phase coherence and gap formation are distinct processes which occur on different timescales. PMID:25014162

The three superfluid phases supposed to occur in neutron stars are reviewed in the framework of the generalized BCS theory with the induced interaction. The structure of neutron stars characterized by beta-stable asymmetric nuclear matter in equilibrium with the gravitational force discloses new aspects of the pairing mechanism. Some of them are discussed in this report, in particular the formation in dense matter of Cooper pairs in the presence of three-body forces and the interplay between repulsive and attractive polarization effects on isospin T = 1 Cooper pairs embedded into the neutron and proton environment. Quantitative estimates of the energy gaps are reported and their sensitivity to the medium effects, i.e., interaction and polarization, is explored.

Speaking tasks involving peer-to-peer candidate interaction are increasingly being incorporated into language proficiency assessments, in both large-scale international testing contexts, and in smaller-scale, for example course-related, ones. This growth in the popularity and use of paired and group orals has stimulated research, particularly into…

Recent progress in pairing corrections for exciton state-density formulas used in pre-compound nuclear reaction theories is reviewed. These correction factors are, strictly speaking, dependent on the nuclear excitation energy U and the exciton number n. A simple formula for (U,n)-dependent pairing corrections has been derived, based on the BCS pairing equations for constant single-particle spacing, for the exciton state-density formula for one kind of Fermion. It has been shown that the constant-pairing-energy correction used in standard state-density formulas, such U{sub 0} in Gilbert and Cameron, is a limiting case of the general (U,n)-dependent results. Spin cutoff factors with pairing effects were also obtained using the same theory and parameterized into an explicit (U,n)-dependent function, thereby defining a simple exciton level-density formula for applications in quantum mechanical precompound theories. Preliminary results from extending such simple pairing-interaction representations to level-density formulas for two kinds of Fermions are summarized. The results show that the ratios in the exciton level densities in the one-Fermion and two-Fermion approaches vary with both U and n, thus likely leading to differences in calculated compound to precompound ratios. However, the differences in the spin cutoff factors in the two cases are found to be rather small. 12 refs., 3 figs.

A recent article by Dussel, Sofia, and Tonina studies the relation between Galilei invariance and dipole energy weighted sum rule (EWSR). The authors find that the pairinginteraction, which is neither Galilei nor Lorentz invariant, produces big changes in the EWSR and in effective masses of the nucleons. They argue that these effects of the pairing force could be realistic. In this Comment we stress the validity of Galilei invariance to a very good approximation in this context of low-energy nuclear physics and show that the effective masses and the observed change in the EWSR for the electric dipole operator relative to its classical value are compatible with this symmetry.

To identify the microscopic mechanism of heavy-fermion Cooper pairing is an unresolved challenge in quantum matter studies; it may also relate closely to finding the pairing mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity. Magnetically mediated Cooper pairing has long been the conjectured basis of heavy-fermion superconductivity but no direct verification of this hypothesis was achievable. Here, we use a novel approach based on precision measurements of the heavy-fermion band structure using quasiparticle interference imaging to reveal quantitatively the momentum space (k-space) structure of the f-electron magnetic interactions of CeCoIn5. Then, by solving the superconducting gap equations on the two heavy-fermion bands Ekα,β with these magnetic interactions as mediators of the Cooper pairing, we derive a series of quantitative predictions about the superconductive state. The agreement found between these diverse predictions and the measured characteristics of superconducting CeCoIn5 then provides direct evidence that the heavy-fermion Cooper pairing is indeed mediated by f-electron magnetism. PMID:25062692

The author gives a summary of the conference proceedings. The conference began with the presentation of the basic data sets on pairs, groups, and interacting galaxies with the latter being further discussed with respect to both global properties and properties of the galactic nuclei. Then followed the theory, modelling and interpretation using analytic techniques, simulations and general modelling for spirals and ellipticals, starbursts and active galactic nuclei. Before the conference the author wrote down the three questions concerning pairs, groups and interacting galaxies that he hoped would be answered at the meeting: (1) How do they form, including the role of initial conditions, the importance of subclustering, the evolution of groups to compact groups, and the fate of compact groups; (2) How do they evolve, including issues such as relevant timescales, the role of halos and the problem of overmerging, the triggering and enhancement of star formation and activity in the galactic nuclei, and the relative importance of dwarf versus giant encounters; and (3) Are they important, including the frequency of pairs and interactions, whether merging and interactions are very important aspects of the life of a normal galaxy at formation, during its evolution, in forming bars, shells, rings, bulges, etc., and in the formation and evolution of active galaxies? Where possible he focuses on these three central issues in the summary.

Pairwise filament interactions underlie the dynamics of complex cytoskeletal networks in cells. These networks in turn play a crucial role in many cellular processes such as formation of the mitotic spindle and cell cleavage in cytokinesis. We model interactions of pairs of filaments immersed in a viscous, fluidic environment. The filaments are modeled using a slender body approximation, capturing their indirect interactions mediated by the immersing fluid. Direct filament interactions via molecular motors complexes induce alignment and parallel or anti-parallel sliding. The motor proteins are modeled as simple spring-like structures that walk directionally toward one end of the filament. We examine the resulting stresses in the fluid to better understand how the microscopic interactions lead to bulk behavior of cytoskeletal networks.

With the increase of magnetic field or the decrease of sample thickness, homogeneously disordered superconducting Ta films undergo a superconductor-metal-insulator phase transition. Each phase displays remarkably different nonlinear current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. The evolution of the nonlinear transport in the insulating phase exhibits a non-monotonic behavior as the magnetic field is increased, which could be evidence of the presence of localized Cooper pairs in the insulating phase. As the metallic phase intervenes the superconducting and insulating states in Ta films, we further suggest that Cooper pairs also exist in the metallic ground state. Data acquisition for this work was completed at the University of Virginia.

The lattice model with short-range interactions (exemplified by the Hubbard model) is known to exhibit quite different features from those in the electron gas with the long-range Coulomb interaction. In order to explore how they cross over to each other, we have studied an extended Hubbard model which includes repulsions up to the 12th neighbors with the simplified fluctuation exchange (FLEX) approximation for the square lattice. We have found that (i) in the most dilute density region, spin and charge fluctuations become comparable, and s- and p-waves superconductivity become dominant, in agreement with the result for the electron gas by Takada, while (ii) the dominant spin fluctuation and its reflection on dx2-y2 and dxy pairing, both the effect of lattice structure, persists well away (n ≳ 0.2) from the half filling. 2006 American Institute of Physics

Conventional electron-phonon coupling induces either odd (triplet) or even (singlet) pairing states in a time reversal and inversion invariant Dirac semi-metal. In a certain range of the chemical potential and parameters characterizing the pairing attraction (effective electron-electron coupling constant and the Debye energy ) the energy of the singlet although always lower, prevails by a very slim margin over the triplet. This means that interactions that are small but discriminate between the spin singlet and the spin triplet determine the nature of the superconducting order there. It is shown that in materials close enough to the Dirac point ( ) a moderate exchange constant (below Stoner instability to ferromagnetism) stabilizes the odd pairingsuperconducting state. The 3D quantum critical point at of transition to the triplet superconductivity governs the physics of the superconductor.

We study vortex zero-energy bound states in presence of pairing between low-energy Dirac fermions on the surface of a topological insulator. The pairing symmetries considered include the s-wave, p-wave, and, in particular, the mixed-parity symmetry, which arises in absence of the inversion symmetry on the surface. The zero mode is analyzed within the generalized Jackiw-Rossi-Dirac Hamiltonian that contains a momentum-dependent mass term, and includes the effects of the electromagnetic gauge field and the Zeeman coupling as well. At a finite chemical potential, as long as the spectrum without the vortex is fully gapped, the presence of a single Fermi surface with a definite helicity always leads to one Majorana zero mode, in which both electron's spin projections participate. In particular, the critical effects of the Zeeman coupling on the zero mode are discussed.

Properties of density-dependent contact pairinginteractions in nuclei are discussed. It is shown that the pairinginteraction that is intermediate between surface and volume pairing forces gives the pairing gaps that are compatible with the experimental odd-even mass staggering. Results of the deformed Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations for this ''mixed'' pairinginteraction, and using the transformed harmonic oscillator basis, are presented.

An analytical investigation is carried out to study the kinematics of a fluid particle in an interacting field of a skewed pair of fixed Rankine vortices. A general formulation governing the kinematics of a fluid particle has been presented based on the superposition of the velocity field due to each vortex in the pair. The kinematics of a Lagrangian fluid particle is found to be governed by a nonlinear dynamical system. The fixed or stationary points of the dynamical system have been identified analytically and their existence is confirmed by the nature of particle paths in the neighborhood of fixed points. The nature of the particle path and velocity signal is reported for general as well as special configurations of the vortex pair in the presence and absence of an external uniform flow. As a specific application of the proposed problem, superimposition of the translational velocity on a semi-infinite field of longitudinal vortices generated by vortex generators mounted on fin plates of heat exchangers has also been studied.

Majorana fermions are rising as a promising key component in quantum computation. While the prevalent approach is to use a quadratic (i.e. non-interacting) Majorana Hamiltonian, when expressed in terms of Dirac fermions, generically the Hamiltonian involves interaction terms. Here we focus on the possible pair correlations in a simple model system. We study a model of Majorana fermions coupled to a boson mode and show that the anomalous correlator between different Majorana fermions, located at opposite ends of a topological wire, exhibits odd frequency behavior. It is stabilized when the coupling strength g is above a critical value gc. We use both, conventional diagrammatic theory and a functional integral approach, to derive the gap equation, the critical temperature, the gap function, the critical coupling, and a Ginzburg-Landau theory allowing to discuss a possible subleading admixture of even-frequency pairing. Work supported by USDOE DE-AC52-06NA25396 E304, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and ERC DM-321031.

Various experimental results show that in high temperature superconducting oxides the lattice responds rather anomalously to the onset of superconductivity. This suggests that some unconventional electron-lattice interaction may be at work in these solids which could be important to the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity. The authors describe their recent experimental observations by neutron and X-ray scattering as well as some theoretical results which support this view, and discuss their implications.

The Pax proteins are a family of transcriptional regulators involved in many developmental processes in all higher eukaryotes. They are characterized by the presence of a paired domain (PD), a bipartite DNA binding domain composed of two helix-turn-helix (HTH) motifs,the PAI and RED domains. The PD is also often associated with a homeodomain (HD) which is itself able to form homo- and hetero-dimers on DNA. Many of these proteins therefore contain three HTH motifs each able to recognize DNA. However, all PDs recognize highly related DNA sequences, and most HDs also recognize almost identical sites. We show here that different Pax proteins use multiple combinations of their HTHs to recognize several types of target sites. For instance, the Drosophila Paired protein can bind, in vitro, exclusively through its PAI domain, or through a dimer of its HD, or through cooperative interaction between PAI domain and HD. However, prd function in vivo requires the synergistic action of both the PAI domain and the HD. Pax proteins with only a PD appear to require both PAI and RED domains, while a Pax-6 isoform and a new Pax protein, Lune, may rely on the RED domain and HD. We propose a model by which Pax proteins recognize different target genes in vivo through various combinations of their DNA binding domains, thus expanding their recognition repertoire. PMID:8787739

Understanding transport, reaction, aggregation, and viscoelastic properties of colloid-polymer mixture is of great importance in food, biomedical, and pharmaceutical sciences. In non-adsorbing polymer solutions, colloidal particles tend to aggregate due to the depletion-induced osmotic or entropic force. Our early development for the relative mobility of pair particles assumed that polymer reorganization around the particles is much faster than particle's diffusive time, so that the coupling of diffusive and convective effects can be neglected. Here we present a nonequilibrium two-fluid (polymer and solvent) model to resolve the convective depletion effect. The theoretical framework is based on ground state approximation and accounts for the coupling of fluid flow and polymer transport to better describe pair particle interactions. The momentum and polymer transport, chemical potential, and local viscosity and osmotic pressure are simultaneously solved by numerical approximation. This investigation is essential for predicting the demixing kinetics in the pairwise regime for colloid-polymer mixtures. This work is supported by NSF CMMI 0952646.

The pairing mechanism for the high- superconductors based on the electron-phonon (EPH) and electron-electron-phonon (EEPH) interactions has been presented. On the fold mean-field level, it has been proven, that the obtained s-wave model supplements the predictions based on the BCS van Hove scenario. In particular: (i) For strong EEPH coupling and the energy gap () is very weak temperature dependent; up to the critical temperature extends into the anomalous normal state to the Nernst temperature. (ii) The model explains well the experimental dependence of the ratio on doping for the reported superconductors in the terms of the few fundamental parameters. In the presented paper, the properties of the d-wave superconducting state in the two-dimensional system have been also studied. The obtained results, like for s-wave, have shown the energy gap amplitude crossover from the BCS to non-BCS behavior, as the value of the EEPH potential increases. However, for the energy gap amplitude extends into the anomalous normal state to the pseudogap temperature. Finally, it has been presented that the anisotropic model explains the dependence of the ratio on doping for the considered superconductors. PMID:22529891

The ubiquity of the bosonic Cooper Pair Insulator (CPI) phase near the two-dimensional superconductor to insulator transition (SIT) is a long standing question. While a number of two dimensional materials exhibit bosonic insulating phases similar to the Mott Insulator in arrays of ultrasmall, Josephson coupled superconducting islands, others show behaviors consistent with a fermionic insulating phase. Utilizing specially prepared anodized aluminum oxide substrates, we are able to fabricate films reminiscent of arrays of superconducting islands whose properties are tunable by varying the substrate morphology. Our recent work has focused on arrays of islands which possess an energy level spacing comparable to the mean field superconducting gap, where one expects pair breaking followed by fermionic Anderson Localization as the dominant mechanism by which superconductivity is destroyed. Early results show that the paradigmatic bosonic insulator exists only very near the disorder tuned SIT, while films only marginally deeper in the insulating phase exhibit transport distinct from the CPI's reentrant, activated transport. We are grateful for the support of NSF Grant No. DMR-1307290, the AFOSR, and the AOARD. Currently at Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xian, China.

Superconductivity in topological band structures is a platform for realizing Majorana bound states and other exotic physical phenomena such as emergent supersymmetry. This potential nourishes the search for topological materials with intrinsic superconducting instabilities, in which Cooper pairing is introduced to electrons with helical spin texture such as the Dirac surface states of topological insulators, forming a time-reversal symmetric topological superconductor on the surface. We employ first-principles calculations and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments to reveal that PbTaSe2, a noncentrosymmetric superconductor, possesses a nonzero Z2 topological invariant and fully spin-polarized Dirac surface states. Moreover, we analyze the phonon spectrum of PbTaSe2 to show how superconductivity emerges in this compound due to a stiffening of phonons by the Pb intercalation, which diminishes a competing charge-density-wave instability. By combining our findings on the topological band structure and the superconducting electron pairing, our work establishes PbTaSe2 as a stoichiometric superconductor with topological Dirac surface states. This type of intrinsic topological Dirac superconductors holds great promise for studying aspects of topological superconductors such as Majorana zero modes.

By means of first-principles calculations, we predict two new types of partially hydrogenated graphene systems: C6H1 and C6H5 , which are shown to be a ferromagnetic (FM) semimetal and a FM narrow-gap semiconductor, respectively. When properly doped, the Fermi surface of the two systems consists of an electron pocket or six hole patches in the first Brillouin zone with completely spin-polarized charge carriers. If superconductivity exists in these systems, the stable pairing symmetries are shown to be p +i p for both electron- and hole-doped cases. The predicted systems may provide fascinating platforms for studying the novel properties of the coexistence of ferromagnetism and triplet-pairingsuperconductivity.

The quantum dynamics of quasi-one-dimensional ring with varying electron filling factors is investigated in the presence of an external electric field. The system is modeled within a Hubbard Hamiltonian with attractive Coulomb correlation, which results in a superconducting ground state when away from half-filling. The electric field is induced by applying time-dependent Aharonov-Bohm flux in the perpendicular direction. To explore the non-equilibrium phenomena arising from the field, we adopt exact diagonalization and the Crank-Nicolson numerical method. With an increase in electric field strength, the electron pairs, a signature of the superconducting phase, start breaking and the system enters into a metallic phase. However, the strength of the electric field for this quantum phase transition depends on the electronic correlation. This phenomenon has been confirmed by flux-quantization of time-dependent current and pair correlation functions. PMID:27089910

The quantum dynamics of quasi-one-dimensional ring with varying electron filling factors is investigated in the presence of an external electric field. The system is modeled within a Hubbard Hamiltonian with attractive Coulomb correlation, which results in a superconducting ground state when away from half-filling. The electric field is induced by applying time-dependent Aharonov–Bohm flux in the perpendicular direction. To explore the non-equilibrium phenomena arising from the field, we adopt exact diagonalization and the Crank–Nicolson numerical method. With an increase in electric field strength, the electron pairs, a signature of the superconducting phase, start breaking and the system enters into a metallic phase. However, the strength of the electric field for this quantum phase transition depends on the electronic correlation. This phenomenon has been confirmed by flux-quantization of time-dependent current and pair correlation functions.

A subtle relation between quantum Hall physics and the phenomenon of pairing is unveiled. By use of second quantization, we establish a connection between (i) a broad class of rotationally symmetric two-body interactions within the lowest Landau level and (ii) integrable hyperbolic Richardson-Gaudin-type Hamiltonians that arise in (px+ipy) superconductivity. Specifically, we show that general Haldane pseudopotentials (and their sums) can be expressed as a sum of repulsive noncommuting (px+ipy)-type pairing Hamiltonians. The determination of the spectrum and individual null spaces of each of these noncommuting Richardson-Gaudin-type Hamiltonians is nontrivial yet is Bethe ansatz solvable. For the Laughlin sequence, it is observed that this problem is frustration free and zero-energy ground states lie in the common null space of all of these noncommuting Hamiltonians. This property allows for the use of a new truncated basis of pairing configurations in which to express Laughlin states at general filling factors. We prove separability of arbitrary Haldane pseudopotentials, providing explicit expressions for their second quantized forms, and further show by explicit construction how to exploit the topological equivalence between different geometries (disk, cylinder, and sphere) sharing the same topological genus number, in the second quantized formalism, through similarity transformations. As an application of the second quantized approach, we establish a “squeezing principle” that applies to the zero modes of a general class of Hamiltonians, which includes but is not limited to Haldane pseudopotentials. We also show how one may establish (bounds on) “incompressible filling factors” for those Hamiltonians. By invoking properties of symmetric polynomials, we provide explicit second quantized quasihole generators; the generators that we find directly relate to bosonic chiral edge modes and further make aspects of dimensional reduction in the quantum Hall systems

A model of independent pair parton interactions is proposed, according to which hadron interactions are represented by a set of independent binary parton collisions. The final multiplicity distribution is described by a convolution of the negative binomial distributions in each of the partonic collisions. As a result, it is given by a weighted sum of negative binomial distributions with parameters multiplied by the number of active pairs. Its shape and moments are considered. Experimental data on multiplicity distributions in high energy pp¯ processes are well fitted by these distributions. Predictions for the CERN Large Hadron Collider and higher energies are presented. The difference between e+e- and pp¯ processes is discussed.

The recent observation of fully gapped superconductivity in Yb doped CeCoIn5 poses a paradox, for the disappearance of nodes suggests that they are accidental, yet d -wave symmetry with protected nodes is well established by experiment. Here, we show that composite pairing provides a natural resolution: in this scenario, Yb doping drives a Lifshitz transition of the nodal Fermi surface, forming a fully gapped d -wave molecular superfluid of composite pairs. The T4 dependence of the penetration depth associated with the sound mode of this condensate is in accordance with observation.

Unconventional superconductivity based on the strong correlation of electrons is one of the central issues of solid-state physics. Although many experimental techniques are appropriate for investigating unconventional superconductivity, a complete perspective has not been established yet. The symmetries of electron pairs are crucial properties for understanding the essential state of unconventional superconductivity. In this review, we discuss the investigation of the time-reversal and spin symmetries of superconducting electron pairs using the muon spin rotation and relaxation technique. By detecting a spontaneous magnetic field under zero field and/or the temperature dependence of the muon Knight shift in the superconducting phase, the time-reversal symmetry and spin parity of electron pairs have been determined for several unconventional superconductors.

In this paper, we calculate the pairinginteraction and the k dependence of the gap function associated with the nematic charge fluctuations of a CuO2 model.We find that the nematic pairinginteraction is attractive for small momentum transfer and that it gives rise to d-wave pairing. Finally, as the doping p approaches a quantum critical point, the strength of this pairing increases and higher d-wave harmonics contribute to the k dependence of the superconducting gap function, reflecting the longer range nature of the nematic fluctuations.

In this paper, we calculate the pairinginteraction and the k dependence of the gap function associated with the nematic charge fluctuations of a CuO2 model.We find that the nematic pairinginteraction is attractive for small momentum transfer and that it gives rise to d-wave pairing. Finally, as the doping p approaches a quantum critical point, the strength of this pairing increases and higher d-wave harmonics contribute to the k dependence of the superconducting gap function, reflecting the longer range nature of the nematic fluctuations.

The systematics of the superconducting-state enhancements of in-plane thermal conductivity for YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+{ital x}} (Y-123), Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}CuO{sub 6}, and La{sub 2{minus}{ital x}}Sr{sub {ital x}}CuO{sub 4} single crystals are examined. For Y-123 the enhancements are shown to correlate with specific-heat jumps, a measure of the superconductingpair density. The substantially larger enhancements observed for Y-123 are attributed to the condensate arising from oxygen-filled CuO chains. We discuss the constraints imposed by measurements of microwave conductivity on the electronic contribution to this phenomenon.

We propose new types of density dependent contact pairinginteraction which reproduce the pairing gaps in symmetric and neutron matters obtained by a microscopic treatment based on the realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction. The BCS-BEC crossover of neutrons pairs in symmetric and asymmetric nuclear matters is studied by using these contact interactions. It is shown that the bare and screened pairinginteractions lead to different features of the BCS-BEC crossover in symmetric nuclear matter. We perform Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) calculations for semi-magic Calcium, Nickel, Tin and Lead isotopes and N = 20, 28, 50 and 82 isotones using these density-dependent pairinginteractions. Our calculations well account for the experimental data for the neutron number dependence of binding energy, two neutrons separation energy, and odd-even mass staggering of these isotopes. Especially the interaction IS+IV Bare without the medium polarization effect gives satisfactory results for all the isotopes.

Unconventional superconductivity (SC) is said to occur when Cooper pair formation is dominated by repulsive electron–electron interactions, so that the symmetry of the pair wave function is other than an isotropic s-wave. The strong, on-site, repulsive electron–electron interactions that are the proximate cause of such SC are more typically drivers of commensurate magnetism. Indeed, it is the suppression of commensurate antiferromagnetism (AF) that usually allows this type of unconventional superconductivity to emerge. Importantly, however, intervening between these AF and SC phases, intertwined electronic ordered phases (IP) of an unexpected nature are frequently discovered. For this reason, it has been extremely difficult to distinguish the microscopic essence of the correlated superconductivity from the often spectacular phenomenology of the IPs. Here we introduce a model conceptual framework within which to understand the relationship between AF electron–electron interactions, IPs, and correlated SC. We demonstrate its effectiveness in simultaneously explaining the consequences of AF interactions for the copper-based, iron-based, and heavy-fermion superconductors, as well as for their quite distinct IPs. PMID:24114268

Unconventional superconductivity (SC) is said to occur when Cooper pair formation is dominated by repulsive electron-electron interactions, so that the symmetry of the pair wave function is other than an isotropic s-wave. The strong, on-site, repulsive electron-electron interactions that are the proximate cause of such SC are more typically drivers of commensurate magnetism. Indeed, it is the suppression of commensurate antiferromagnetism (AF) that usually allows this type of unconventional superconductivity to emerge. Importantly, however, intervening between these AF and SC phases, intertwined electronic ordered phases (IP) of an unexpected nature are frequently discovered. For this reason, it has been extremely difficult to distinguish the microscopic essence of the correlated superconductivity from the often spectacular phenomenology of the IPs. Here we introduce a model conceptual framework within which to understand the relationship between AF electron-electron interactions, IPs, and correlated SC. We demonstrate its effectiveness in simultaneously explaining the consequences of AF interactions for the copper-based, iron-based, and heavy-fermion superconductors, as well as for their quite distinct IPs. PMID:24114268

In this paper, we study the superconductivity of nonrelativistic fermions at finite-density coupled to a transverse U(1) gauge field, with the effective interaction including the Landau-damping. This model, first studied by Holstein, Norton, and Pincus [Phys. Rev. B1098-012110.1103/PhysRevB.8.2649 8, 2649 (1973)] has been known as an example of a non-Fermi liquid, i.e., a metallic state in which the decay rate of a quasiparticle is large compared to the characteristic quasiparticle energy; other examples of the non-Fermi liquid includes the two dimensional (2d) electron gas in a magnetic field at ν=1/2 and the normal state of optimally doped cuprate superconductors. Our study thus addresses the question of whether or not non-Fermi liquids, like Fermi liquids, are unstable towards the formation of superconductivity. The results are (i) the non-Fermi liquid is stable against superconductivity below a critical gauge coupling, (ii) above this critical coupling, the ground state is an unconventional superconductor with angular momentum ℓ≥2. Our results are obtained from a solution of the Dyson-Nambu equation. Note that in this problem there is a quantum critical point between a non-Fermi liquid state and the superconducting state, as the critical coupling is nonzero. This is in contrast to a weakly coupled metal, which exhibits superconductivity for infinitesimally weak interaction regardless of its sign.

A state with spontaneous interlayer phase coherence in a bilayer quantum Hall system based on graphene is studied. This state can be regarded as a gas of superfluid electron-hole pairs whose components belong to different layers. A superfluid flow of such pairs is equivalent to two electric supercurrents in the layers. It is shown that in a graphene system a state with interlayer phase coherence arises if a definite unbalance of the filling factors of the Landau levels in neighboring layers is created. The temperature of the transition into a superfluid state, the maximum interlayer distance for which phase coherence is possible, and the critical values of the supercurrent are found. The advantages of using graphene systems instead of GaAs heterostructures to realize bilayer electron-hole superconductivity are discussed.

We consider the normal phase of a strongly interacting Fermi gas, which can have either an equal or an unequal number of atoms in its two accessible spin states. Due to the unitarity-limited attractive interaction between particles with different spin, noncondensed Cooper pairs are formed. The starting point in treating preformed pairs is the Nozieres-Schmitt-Rink (NSR) theory, which approximates the pairs as being noninteracting. Here, we consider the effects of the interactions between the Cooper pairs in a Wilsonian renormalization-group scheme. Starting from the exact bosonic action for the pairs, we calculate the Cooper-pair self-energy by combining the NSR formalism with the Wilsonian approach. We compare our findings with the recent experiments by Harikoshi et al. [Science 327, 442 (2010)] and Nascimbene et al. [Nature (London) 463, 1057 (2010)], and find very good agreement. We also make predictions for the population-imbalanced case, which can be tested in experiments.

An excitation of odd-triplet pairing in a superconducting spin valve can be revealed by measuring the dependence of the superconducting critical temperature Tc with increasing non-collinearity of the magnetizations in adjacent ferromagnetic layers. A standard approach to create such a non-collinear magnetization configuration is to pin one ferromagnetic layers and control the magnetization in another layer by rotating the multilayer in a small magnetic field. Unfortunately, the rotation can modify the vortex current which also strongly affects the critical temperature. To exclude such spurious effects, we designed and fabricated a novel superconducting spin valve which allows us to create non-collinear magnetization configurations without using a sample rotator. The valve's operational principle is based on pinning of a synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) by exchange coupling it to FeMn layer. The ability to imprint non-collinear magnetization configurations in the spin valve was confirmed using giant magneto resistance (GMR) measurements. The response of the magnetizations on an external magnetic field was simulated based on a coherent rotation model. The dependence of the Nb layer Tc on imprinted magnetization configuration will be presented. Work was supported by The Department of Energy Office of Science, Material Science and Engineering Division.

A superconductor-graphene(SG) hybrid system, such as an SGS junction or an SG interface, provides an ideal platform to investigate the relativistic nature of Dirac fermions combined with superconductivity. Instead of the retro-reflection of carriers in an ordinary superconductor-normal metal interface, an SG interface is theoretically predicted to show the specular reflection of quasiparticle carriers. We show that a supercurrent flows through a SGS junction with Nb electrodes even through a very long graphene distance of 1.2μm, more than 3 times the length previously reported. This supercurrent disappears in the vicinity of the Dirac point, indicating a strong sensitivity of the transmission of Andreev pairs to the formation of charge puddles with size greater than the superconducting coherence length. We also present data on similar size graphene samples with superconducting electrodes with a high critical field (more than 7Tesla) for which the properties of the normal state are dominated by quantum Hall physics. Whereas the behavior of the supercurrent is similar to the Nb/Graphene/Nb system in zero field, new features are observed in the high field quantum Hall regime.

A unique property of metal nanoclusters is the "superatom" shell structure of their delocalized electrons. The electronic shell levels are highly degenerate and therefore represent sharp peaks in the density of states. This can enable exceptionally strong electron pairing in certain clusters composed of tens to hundreds of atoms. In a finite system, such as a free nanocluster or a nucleus, pairing is observed most clearly via its effect on the energy spectrum of the constituent fermions. Accordingly, we performed a photoionization spectroscopy study of size-resolved aluminum nanoclusters and observed a rapid rise in the near-threshold density of states of several clusters (A l37 ,44 ,66 ,68 ) with decreasing temperature. The characteristics of this behavior are consistent with compression of the density of states by a pairing transition into a high-temperature superconducting state with Tc≳100 K. This value exceeds that of bulk aluminum by two orders of magnitude. These results highlight the potential of novel pairing effects in size-quantized systems and the possibility to attain even higher critical temperatures by optimizing the particles' size and composition. As a new class of high-temperature superconductors, such metal nanocluster particles are promising building blocks for high-Tc materials, devices, and networks.

We investigate the possibility of superconductivity in the large-U limit of the Hubbard model near half filling, using a slave-boson representation. The local constraint is treated in a novel way, incorporating short-range fluctuations in addition to the global constraint. We find slave-boson pairing and a superconducting extended s-wave phase at hole concentrations delta above 4% and below 32%.

We investigate the effect of the Rashba interaction on two dimensional superconductivity. The presence of the Rashba interaction lifts the spin degeneracy and gives rise to the spectrum of two bands. There are intraband and interband pairs scattering which result in the coupled gap equations. We find that there are isotropic and anisotropic components in the gap function. The latter has the form of cos φk where . The former is suppressed because the intraband and the interband scatterings nearly cancel each other. Hence, -the system should exhibit the p-wave superconductivity. We perform a detailed study of electron-phonon interaction for 2DEG and find that, if only normal processes are considered, the effective coupling strength constant of this new superconductivity is about one-half of the s-wave case in the ordinary 2DEG because of the angular average of the additional in the anisotropic gap function. By taking into account of Umklapp processes, we find they are the major contribution in the electron-phonon coupling in superconductivity and enhance the transition temperature Tc. PMID:27459677

We investigate the effect of the Rashba interaction on two dimensional superconductivity. The presence of the Rashba interaction lifts the spin degeneracy and gives rise to the spectrum of two bands. There are intraband and interband pairs scattering which result in the coupled gap equations. We find that there are isotropic and anisotropic components in the gap function. The latter has the form of cos φk where . The former is suppressed because the intraband and the interband scatterings nearly cancel each other. Hence, ‑the system should exhibit the p-wave superconductivity. We perform a detailed study of electron-phonon interaction for 2DEG and find that, if only normal processes are considered, the effective coupling strength constant of this new superconductivity is about one-half of the s-wave case in the ordinary 2DEG because of the angular average of the additional in the anisotropic gap function. By taking into account of Umklapp processes, we find they are the major contribution in the electron-phonon coupling in superconductivity and enhance the transition temperature Tc.

We investigate the effect of the Rashba interaction on two dimensional superconductivity. The presence of the Rashba interaction lifts the spin degeneracy and gives rise to the spectrum of two bands. There are intraband and interband pairs scattering which result in the coupled gap equations. We find that there are isotropic and anisotropic components in the gap function. The latter has the form of cos φk where . The former is suppressed because the intraband and the interband scatterings nearly cancel each other. Hence, −the system should exhibit the p-wave superconductivity. We perform a detailed study of electron-phonon interaction for 2DEG and find that, if only normal processes are considered, the effective coupling strength constant of this new superconductivity is about one-half of the s-wave case in the ordinary 2DEG because of the angular average of the additional in the anisotropic gap function. By taking into account of Umklapp processes, we find they are the major contribution in the electron-phonon coupling in superconductivity and enhance the transition temperature Tc. PMID:27459677

The nature of the pairing states of superconducting LaNiC_{2} and LaNiGa_{2} has to date remained a puzzling question. Broken time reversal symmetry has been observed in both compounds and a group theoretical analysis implies a nonunitary triplet pairing state. However, all the allowed nonunitary triplet states have nodal gap functions but most thermodynamic and NMR measurements indicate fully gapped superconductivity in LaNiC_{2}. Here we probe the gap symmetry of LaNiGa_{2} by measuring the London penetration depth, specific heat, and upper critical field. These measurements demonstrate two-gap nodeless superconductivity in LaNiGa_{2}, suggesting that this is a common feature of both compounds. These results allow us to propose a novel triplet superconducting state, where the pairing occurs between electrons of the same spin, but on different orbitals. In this case the superconducting wave function has a triplet spin component but isotropic even parity gap symmetry, yet the overall wave function remains antisymmetric under particle exchange. This model leads to a nodeless two-gap superconducting state which breaks time reversal symmetry, and therefore accounts well for the seemingly contradictory experimental results. PMID:27447519

The nature of the pairing states of superconducting LaNiC2 and LaNiGa2 has to date remained a puzzling question. Broken time reversal symmetry has been observed in both compounds and a group theoretical analysis implies a nonunitary triplet pairing state. However, all the allowed nonunitary triplet states have nodal gap functions but most thermodynamic and NMR measurements indicate fully gapped superconductivity in LaNiC2 . Here we probe the gap symmetry of LaNiGa2 by measuring the London penetration depth, specific heat, and upper critical field. These measurements demonstrate two-gap nodeless superconductivity in LaNiGa2 , suggesting that this is a common feature of both compounds. These results allow us to propose a novel triplet superconducting state, where the pairing occurs between electrons of the same spin, but on different orbitals. In this case the superconducting wave function has a triplet spin component but isotropic even parity gap symmetry, yet the overall wave function remains antisymmetric under particle exchange. This model leads to a nodeless two-gap superconducting state which breaks time reversal symmetry, and therefore accounts well for the seemingly contradictory experimental results.

A superconducting, thin-film niobium ring deposited on the equator of a precision quartz hemispherical rotor was used to measure the ratio of Planck's constant to the mass of a Cooper pair of electrons, h/m*. A precision of 5 ppm (statistical) and an accuracy of 30 ppm (systematic) were obtained for a combined, root sum of squares error of 30 ppm. As a result of two macroscopic quantum phenomena-flux quantization and the London moment, the flux through a rotating, superconducting ring is a multivalued function of its rotation frequency. The flux goes to zero at certain equally spaced frequencies. The ratio h/m* is proportional to this frequency spacing. It is also proportional to the cross sectional area of the niobium ring. Using the values for Planck's constant and the rest mass of the electron recommended in the most recent fundamental constants revision, the mass measured in this experiment is larger than twice the free electron mass by 84 +/- 30 ppm. The result disagrees with theoretical predictions that this experiment would observe a mass smaller than twice the free electron mass by 8 ppm.

In contrast to the current lore, we demonstrate that even the overdoped cuprates suffer from superconducting phase fluctuation in the strong binding limit. Specifically, the Mott-ness of the underlying doped holes dictates naturally a generic optimal doping around 15% and nearly complete loss of phase coherence around 25%, giving rise to a dome shape of superconducting transition temperature in excellent agreement with experimental observations of the cuprates. We verify this effect with a simple estimation using Gutzwiller approximation of the preformed pairs, obtained through variational Monte Carlo calculation. This realization suggests strongly the interesting possibility that the high-temperature superconductivity in the cuprates might be mostly described by Bose-Einstein condensation, without crossing over to amplitude fluctuating Cooper pairs. Supported by Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Science DE-AC02-98CH10886.

In this paper, we have taken the effect of small size of nucleus and static fluctuations into account in the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory of superconductivity calculations of 45Ti nucleus. Thermodynamic quantities of 45Ti have been extracted within the BCS model with the inclusion of the average value of the pairing gap square, extracted by the modified Ginzburg-Landau (MGL) method for small systems. Calculated values of the excitation energy and entropy within the MGL+BCS method improve the extracted results within the usual BCS model and show a smooth behavior around the critical temperature with a very good agreement with the semi-empirical values. The result of using MGL+BCS method for the heat capacity of 45Ti is compared with the corresponding semi-empirical values and the calculated values within the BCS, static path approximation (SPA) and Modified Pairing gap BCS (MPBCS) which is a method that was proposed in our previous publications. Both MGL+BCS and MPBCS avoid the discontinuity of the heat capacity curve, which is observed in the usual BCS method, and lead to an S-shaped curve with a good agreement with the semi-empirical results.

Noncovalent forces rule the interactions between biomolecules. Inspired by a biomolecular interaction found in aminoglycoside-RNA recognition, glucose-nucleobase pairs have been examined. Deoxyoligonucleotides with a 6-deoxyglucose insertion are able to hybridize with their complementary strand, thus exhibiting a preference for purine nucleobases. Although the resulting double helices are less stable than natural ones, they present only minor local distortions. 6-Deoxyglucose stays fully integrated in the double helix and its OH groups form two hydrogen bonds with the opposing guanine. This 6-deoxyglucose-guanine pair closely resembles a purine-pyrimidine geometry. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that glucose-purine pairs are as stable as a natural T-A pair. PMID:27328804

Although there are more unlike-pairs than like-pairs in detonation products, information on unlike-pairinteractions is scarce at present. We describe how unlike pair-interactions involving dissociation products of CO and CO{sub 2} can be derived by means of an accurate statistical mechanical theory of mixtures and recent shock wave data of CO and CO{sub 2}. We then extend this complex study further by interpreting shock data of liquid NO and N{sub 2} + O{sub 2} mixture. It was done by constraining the resulting potentials to agree with all available Hugoniot data of chemical species occurring in detonation products in a self-consistent manner.

Epistatic genetic interactions are key for understanding the genetic contribution to complex traits. Epistasis is always defined with respect to some trait such as growth rate or fitness. Whereas most existing epistasis screens explicitly test for a trait, it is also possible to implicitly test for fitness traits by searching for the over- or under-representation of allele pairs in a given population. Such analysis of imbalanced allele pair frequencies of distant loci has not been exploited yet on a genome-wide scale, mostly due to statistical difficulties such as the multiple testing problem. We propose a new approach called Imbalanced Allele Pair frequencies (ImAP) for inferring epistatic interactions that is exclusively based on DNA sequence information. Our approach is based on genome-wide SNP data sampled from a population with known family structure. We make use of genotype information of parent-child trios and inspect 3×3 contingency tables for detecting pairs of alleles from different genomic positions that are over- or under-represented in the population. We also developed a simulation setup which mimics the pedigree structure by simultaneously assuming independence of the markers. When applied to mouse SNP data, our method detected 168 imbalanced allele pairs, which is substantially more than in simulations assuming no interactions. We could validate a significant number of the interactions with external data, and we found that interacting loci are enriched for genes involved in developmental processes. PMID:22346757

In high-superconducting transition temperature (Tc) iron-based superconductors, interband sign reversal (s±) and sign preserving (s++) s -wave superconducting states have been primarily discussed as the plausible superconducting mechanism. We study Co impurity scattering effects on the superconductivity in order to achieve an important clue on the pairing mechanism using single-crystal Fe1 -xCoxSe and depict a phase diagram of a FeSe system. Both superconductivity and structural transition/orbital order are suppressed by the Co replacement on the Fe sites and disappear above x = 0.036. These correlated suppressions represent a common background physics behind these physical phenomena in the multiband Fermi surfaces of FeSe. By comparing experimental data and theories so far proposed, the suppression of Tc against the residual resistivity is shown to be much weaker than that predicted in the case of general sign reversal and full gap s± models. The origin of the superconducting paring in FeSe is discussed in terms of its multiband electronic structure.

The response of a pair of emulsion drops to the imposition of a uniform electric field is examined. The case studied is that of equal-sized drops whose line of centers is parallel to the axis of the applied field. A new boundary integral solution to the governing equations of the leaky dielectric model is developed; the formulation accounts for the electrostatic and hydrodynamic interactions between the drops, as well as their deformations. Numerical calculations show that, after an initial transient during which the drops primarily deform, the pair drift slowly together due to their electrostatic interactions.

It is general wisdom that the pair potential of charged colloids in a liquid may be closely approximated by a Yukawa interaction, as predicted by the classical Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. We experimentally determine the effective forces in a binary mixture of like-charged particles, of species 1 and 2, with blinking optical tweezers. The measured forces are consistent with a Yukawa pair potential but the (12) cross-interaction is not equal to the geometric mean of the (11) and (22) like-interactions, as expected from DLVO. The deviation is a function of the electrostatic screening length and the size ratio, with the cross-interaction measured being consistently weaker than DLVO predictions. The corresponding non-additivity parameter is negative and grows in magnitude with increased size asymmetry.

We consider two types of magnetic Josephson junctions (JJ). They are formed by two singlet superconductors S and magnetic layers between them so that the JJ is a heterostructure of the Sm/n /Sm type, where Sm includes two magnetic layers with noncollinear magnetization vectors. One layer is represented by a weak ferromagnet and another one—the spin filter—is either conducting strong ferromagnet (nematic or N -type JJ) or magnetic tunnel barrier with spin-dependent transparency (magnetic or M -type JJ). Due to spin filtering only a fully polarized triplet component penetrates the normal n wire and provides the Josephson coupling between the superconductors S. Although both filters let to pass triplet Cooper pairs with total spin S parallel to the filter axes, the behavior of nematic and magnetic JJs is completely different. Whereas in the nematic case the charge and spin currents, IQ and Isp, do not depend on mutual orientation of the filter axes, both currents vanish in magnetic JJ in the case of antiparallel filter axes, and change sign with reversal of the filter direction. The obtained expressions for IQ and Isp clearly show a duality between the superconducting phase φ and the angle α between the exchange fields in the weak magnetic layers.

The proceedings of the International Astronomical Union Colloquium No. 124, held at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, on December 4 to 7, are given. The purpose of the conference was to describe the current state of theoretical and observational knowledge of interacting galaxies, with particular emphasis on galaxies in pairs.

Pairing symmetries of iron-based superconductors are investigated systematically in a five-orbital model within the different regions of interaction parameters by functional renormalization group (FRG). Even for a fixed Fermi surface with both hole and electron pockets, it is found that depending on interaction parameters, a variety of pairing symmetries, including two types of d-wave and two types of s-wave pairing symmetries, can emerge. Only the dx^2-y^2 - and the s±-waves are robustly supported by the nearest-neighbor (NN) intra-orbital J 1 and the next-nearest-neighbor (NNN) intra-orbital J 2 antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchange couplings, respectively. This study suggests that the accurate initial input of the interaction parameters is essential to make FRG a useful method to determine the leading channel of superconducting instability.

This group served as the interface between experimenters and accelerator physicists. A start was made on a portfolio of IR's, building on previous studies including the Reference Designs Study (RDS). The group also looked at limits on time structure and luminosity, the clustering of IR's, external beams of secondary particles from the IR's, and various operational issues connected with the IR's. Designs were developed for interaction regions for RDS-B (individual cryostats for two 5-T rings, separated by 60 cm vertically). For a fixed geometry, the quadrupoles have been tuned over a range to give a factor of 100 variation in ..beta..* (1 to 100 m) and thus in luminosity; an even larger variation may well be possible. Variation of the minimum ..beta..* with free space between the quadrupole triplets, for a quad strength of 280 T/m and under the constraint of fixed chromaticity, showed a factor of five decrease in maximum luminosity in going from a high luminosity region with +-20 m free space to a small-angle region with +-100 m. Similar variants of the RDS-A IR were also found.

A configuration-space pseudopotential, which is closely related to that used by Aldrich and Pines to describe the effective interaction between background particles in 3He and 4He, is constructed and used to calculate the roton-roton scattering amplitude. From that amplitude we obtain a theory that is completely congruent with the roton-liquid theory of Bedell, Pines, and Fomin. We calculate two-roton bound states, roton-liquid parameters, and roton lifetimes, as well as information about the hybridization of the two-roton bound state with excitations of higher and lower energy. Excellent agreement between theory and experiment is obtained for the l=2 bound state at zero pair momentum, the roton lifetime, the roton contribution to the normal-fluid viscosity and the normal-fluid density, and the temperature variation of the roton energy. The effective roton-roton coupling parameters at large pair momentum are found to be an order of magnitude larger than those for small or vanishing pair momentum. At SVP we find that a substantial number of two-roton bound states of varying symmetry exist for pair momentum up to ~ 3 Å -1; at standard pressure, however the roton-roton interaction for momenta ~ 1 Å -1 is found to become repulsive, so that both the l=2 bound state at zero pair momentum and bound states at intermediate momenta are predicted to disappear under pressure.

This book explains the theoretical background of superconductivity. Includes discussion of electricity, material fabrication, maglev trains, the superconducting supercollider, and Japanese-US competition. The authors reports the latest discoveries.

Paired speaking tasks are now commonly used in both pedagogic and assessment contexts, as they elicit a wide range of interactional skills. The current study aims to offer an investigation of the interaction co-constructed by learners at different proficiency levels who are engaged in a paired speaking test, and to provide insights into the…

Calculating interactions or correlations between pairs of particles is typically the most time-consuming task in particle simulation or correlation analysis. Straightforward implementations using a double loop over particle pairs have traditionally worked well, especially since compilers usually do a good job of unrolling the inner loop. In order to reach high performance on modern CPU and accelerator architectures, single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) parallelization has become essential. Avoiding memory bottlenecks is also increasingly important and requires reducing the ratio of memory to arithmetic operations. Moreover, when pairs only interact within a certain cut-off distance, good SIMD utilization can only be achieved by reordering input and output data, which quickly becomes a limiting factor. Here we present an algorithm for SIMD parallelization based on grouping a fixed number of particles, e.g. 2, 4, or 8, into spatial clusters. Calculating all interactions between particles in a pair of such clusters improves data reuse compared to the traditional scheme and results in a more efficient SIMD parallelization. Adjusting the cluster size allows the algorithm to map to SIMD units of various widths. This flexibility not only enables fast and efficient implementation on current CPUs and accelerator architectures like GPUs or Intel MIC, but it also makes the algorithm future-proof. We present the algorithm with an application to molecular dynamics simulations, where we can also make use of the effective buffering the method introduces.

We experimentally demonstrate a high-fidelity visible-to-telecommunicationwavelength conversion of a photon by using a solid-state-based difference frequency generation. In the experiment, one half of a pico-second visible entangled photon pair at 780 nm is converted to a 1522-nm photon. Using superconducting single-photon detectors with low dark count rates and small timing jitters, we observed a fidelity of 0.93±0.04 after the wavelength conversion.

The dynamics and pair trajectory of two self-propelled colloids are reported. The autonomous motions of the colloids are due to a catalytic chemical reaction taking place asymmetrically on their surfaces that generates a concentration gradient of interactive solutes around the particles and actuate particle propulsion. We consider two spherical particles with symmetric catalytic caps extending over the local polar angles $\\theta^1_{cap}$ and $\\theta^2_{cap}$ from the centers of active sectors in an otherwise quiescent fluid. A combined analytical-numerical technique was developed to solve the coupled mass transfer equation and the hydrodynamics in the Stokes flow regime. The ensuing pair trajectory of the colloids is controlled by the reacting coverages $\\theta^j_{cap}$ and their initial relative orientation with respect to each other. Our analysis indicates two possible scenarios for pair trajectories of catalytic self-propelled particles: either the particles approach, come into contact and assemble or they interact and move away from each other (escape). For arbitrary motions of the colloids, it is found that the direction of particle rotations is the key factor in determining the escape or assembly scenario. Based on the analysis, a phase diagram is sketched for the pair trajectory of the catalytically active particles as a function of active coverages and their initial relative orientations. We believe this study has important implications in elucidation of collective behaviors of auotophoretically self-propelled colloids.

Rydberg-atom ensembles are switched from a weakly to a strongly interacting regime via adiabatic transformation of the atoms from an approximately nonpolar into a highly dipolar quantum state. The resultant electric dipole-dipole forces are probed using a device akin to a field ion microscope. Ion imaging and pair-correlation analysis reveal the kinetics of the interacting atoms. Dumbbell-shaped pair-correlation images demonstrate the anisotropy of the binary dipolar force. The dipolar C3 coefficient, derived from the time dependence of the images, agrees with the value calculated from the permanent electric-dipole moment of the atoms. The results indicate many-body dynamics akin to disorder-induced heating in strongly coupled particle systems.

In this work, we present scanning Fabry-Perot (FP) H{alpha} observations of the isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5278/79 obtained with the PUMA FP interferometer. We derived velocity fields and rotation curves for both galaxies. For NGC 5278 we also obtained the residual velocity map to investigate the non-circular motions, and estimated its mass by fitting the rotation curve with disk+halo components. We test three different types of halos (pseudo-isothermal, Hernquist, and Navarro-Frenk-White) and obtain satisfactory fits to the rotation curve for all profiles. The amount of dark matter required by the pseudo-isothermal profile is about 10 times smaller than that for the other two halo distributions. Finally, our kinematical results together with the analysis of dust lane distribution and of surface brightness profiles along the minor axis allowed us to determine univocally that both components of the interactingpair are trailing spirals.

In this work, we present scanning Fabry-Perot (FP) Hα observations of the isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5278/79 obtained with the PUMA FP interferometer. We derived velocity fields and rotation curves for both galaxies. For NGC 5278 we also obtained the residual velocity map to investigate the non-circular motions, and estimated its mass by fitting the rotation curve with disk+halo components. We test three different types of halos (pseudo-isothermal, Hernquist, and Navarro-Frenk-White) and obtain satisfactory fits to the rotation curve for all profiles. The amount of dark matter required by the pseudo-isothermal profile is about 10 times smaller than that for the other two halo distributions. Finally, our kinematical results together with the analysis of dust lane distribution and of surface brightness profiles along the minor axis allowed us to determine univocally that both components of the interactingpair are trailing spirals.

Rydberg-atom ensembles are switched from a weakly to a strongly interacting regime via adiabatic transformation of the atoms from an approximately nonpolar into a highly dipolar quantum state. The resultant electric dipole-dipole forces are probed using a device akin to a field ion microscope. Ion imaging and pair-correlation analysis reveal the kinetics of the interacting atoms. Dumbbell-shaped pair-correlation images demonstrate the anisotropy of the binary dipolar force. The dipolar C_{3} coefficient, derived from the time dependence of the images, agrees with the value calculated from the permanent electric-dipole moment of the atoms. The results indicate many-body dynamics akin to disorder-induced heating in strongly coupled particle systems. PMID:27284655

The concept of a spin polaron is introduced and contrasted with the more familiar ionic polaron picture. A brief review of aspects of ionic bipolaronic superconductivity is given with particular emphasis on the real-space pairing and true Bose condensation characteristics. The formation energy of spin polarons is then calculated in analogy with ionic polarons. The spin-flip energy of a Cu spin in an antiferromagnetically aligned CuO{sub 2} plane is discussed. It is shown that the introduction of holes into the CuO{sub 2} planes will always lead to the destruction of long-range AF ordering due to the formation of spin polarons. The pairing of two spin polarons can be expected because of the reestablishment of local (short-range) AF ordering; the magnitude of the pairing energy is estimated using a simplified model. The paper closes with a brief discussion of the formal theory of spin polarons.

Conventional phonon-electron interaction induces either triplet or one of two (degenerate) singlet pairing states in time reversal and inversion invariant 3D Dirac semi-metal. Investigation of the order parameters and energies of these states at zero temperature in a wide range of values of chemical potential μ, the effective electron-electron coupling constant λ and Debye energy TD demonstrates that when the exchange interaction is neglected the singlet always prevails, however, in significant portions of the (μ, λ, TD) parameter space the energy difference is very small. This means that interactions that are small, but discriminate between the spin singlet and the spin triplet, are important in order to determine the nature of the superconducting order there. The best candidate for such an interaction in the materials under consideration is the exchange (the Stoner term) characterized by constant λex. We show that at values of λex, much smaller than ones creating Stoner instability to ferromagnetism λex ˜ 1, the triplet pairing becomes energetically favored over the singlet ones. The 3D quantum critical point at μ = 0 is considered in detail. This can be realized experimentally in optically trapped cold atom systems.

Conventional phonon-electron interaction induces either triplet or one of two (degenerate) singlet pairing states in time reversal and inversion invariant 3D Dirac semi-metal. Investigation of the order parameters and energies of these states at zero temperature in a wide range of values of chemical potential μ, the effective electron-electron coupling constant λ and Debye energy TD demonstrates that when the exchange interaction is neglected the singlet always prevails, however, in significant portions of the (μ, λ, TD) parameter space the energy difference is very small. This means that interactions that are small, but discriminate between the spin singlet and the spin triplet, are important in order to determine the nature of the superconducting order there. The best candidate for such an interaction in the materials under consideration is the exchange (the Stoner term) characterized by constant λex. We show that at values of λex, much smaller than ones creating Stoner instability to ferromagnetism λex ∼ 1, the triplet pairing becomes energetically favored over the singlet ones. The 3D quantum critical point at μ = 0 is considered in detail. This can be realized experimentally in optically trapped cold atom systems. PMID:25501668

We conduct empirical analyses to investigate the interaction between volatilities of paired stock markets. The main objective of this study is to reveal possibility of spillover effects among stock markets which can determine the performances of stock returns and trade volumes of stocks. In particular, we seek to investigate if there exist two-way causal relationships on the volatilities in two stock markets in two groups of countries, i.e. between emerging markets of ASEAN-5 and between emerging and advanced countries. Our study is focused in Malaysia stock market and the paired relationship with its neighbouring countries (ASEAN5) and advanced countries (Japan and U.S.) respectively. The multivariate GARCH(1,1) model is applied in studying the interactions on the volatilities of paired stock markets. The results are compared between neighbouring countries and with that of advanced countries. The results are expected to reveal linkages between volatilities of stock markets and the dynamic relationships across markets. The results provide useful information in studying the performances of stock markets and predicting the stock movements by incorporating the external impacts from foreign stock markets.

We have recently shown that graphene is unsuitable to replace metals in the current-carrying elements of metamaterials. At the other hand, experiments have demonstrated that a layer of graphene can modify the optical response of a metal-based metamaterial. Here we study this electromagnetic interaction between metamaterials and graphene. We show that the weak optical response of graphene can be modified dramatically by coupling to the strong resonant fields in metallic structures. A crucial element determining the interaction strength is the orientation of the resonant fields. If the resonant electric field is predominantly parallel to the graphene sheet (e.g., in a complementary split-ring metamaterial), the metamaterial’s resonance can be strongly damped. If the resonant field is predominantly perpendicular to the graphene sheet (e.g., in a wire-pair metamaterial), no significant interaction exists.

Starting from the electrostatic part of the intermolecular multipole interaction energy we derived irreducible spherical tensor formulas for the first-order long-range, interaction-induced first and second pair hyperpolarizabilities ΔβLM and ΔγLM for arbitrary shape monomers. For atoms a general relation is obtained for the dipolei-2k-pole hyperpolarizability tensor Z(i+k) of arbitrary order, between its irreducible spherical components Z00[((((11)a11)a2…)ai-21)kk] and the Cartesian counterpart Zzz…z(i+k). For isotropic systems the expressions for Δβzzz and Δγzzzz are in full agreement with the Cartesian tensor results of Buckingham, Concannon and Hands [J. Phys. Chem. 98, 10455 (1994)] and Li et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 105, 10954 (1996)]. Our irreducible spherical tensor results for ΔβLM and ΔγLM are very desirable when dealing with molecular rotations, e.g., in spectral line shape calculations of interaction-induced hyper-Rayleigh and/or hyper-Raman light scattering. Finally we show how our spherical tensor formula for ΔβLM can be used for calculation of, one molecule forbidden, hyper-Rayleigh and hyper-Raman (A1 vibration) pair hyperpolarizability Δβzzz for molecules of octahedral symmetry Oh.

The collective excitations in ensembles of dissipative, laser driven ultracold atoms exhibit crystal-like patterns, a many-body effect of the Rydberg blockade mechanism. These crystalline structures are revealed in an experiment from a postselection of configurations with fixed numbers of excitations. Here, we show that these subensembles can be well represented by ensembles of effective particles that interact via logarithmic pair potentials. This allows one to study the emergent patterns with a small number of effective particles to determine the phases of Rydberg crystals and to systematically study contributions from N-body terms. PMID:26430998

We explore how the superconductivity arising from the on-site electron-electron repulsion changes when the repulsion is made long-ranged, 1/r -like interaction by introducing an extended Hubbard model with the repulsion extended to distant (12th) neighbors. With a simplified fluctuation-exchange approximation, we have found for the square lattice that: (i) As the band filling becomes dilute enough, the charge susceptibility becomes comparable with the spin susceptibility, where p - and then s -wave pairings become relatively dominant, in agreement with the result for the electron gas by Takada, while (ii) the d wave, which reflects the lattice structure, dominates well away from the half-filling. All of these can be understood in terms of the spin and charge structures along with the shape and size of the Fermi surface.

Inverse methods of statistical mechanics are becoming productive tools in the design of materials with specific microstructures or properties. While initial studies have focused on solid-state design targets (e.g., assembly of colloidal superlattices), one can alternatively design fluid states with desired morphologies. This work addresses the latter and demonstrates how a simple iterative Boltzmann inversion strategy can be used to determine the isotropic pair potential that reproduces the radial distribution function of a fluid of amorphous clusters with prescribed size. The inverse designed pair potential of this "ideal" cluster fluid, with its broad attractive well and narrow repulsive barrier at larger separations, is qualitatively different from the so-called SALR form most commonly associated with equilibrium cluster formation in colloids, which features short-range attractive (SA) and long-range repulsive (LR) contributions. These differences reflect alternative mechanisms for promoting cluster formation with an isotropic pair potential, and they in turn produce structured fluids with qualitatively different static and dynamic properties. Specifically, equilibrium simulations show that the amorphous clusters resulting from the inverse designed potentials display more uniformity in size and shape, and they also show greater spatial and temporal resolution than those resulting from SALR interactions. PMID:26434352

The charge and spin degrees of freedom of massive particles have relatively large long-range interactions, which enable nonlinear coupling between pairs of atoms, ions, electrons, and diverse quasi-particles. By contrast, photons have vanishingly small cross-sections for direct coupling. Instead, photon interactions must be mediated by a material system. Even then,typical materials produce photon-photon couplings that are orders of magnitude too small for nontrivial dynamics with individual photon pairs. The leading exception to this state of affairs is cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED), where strong interactions between light and matter at the single-photon level have enabled a wide set of scientific advances [1]. My presentation will describe two experiments in the Caltech Quantum Optics Group where strong interactions of photon pairs have been observed. The work in Ref. [2] provided the initial realization of photon blockade for an atomic system by using a Fabry-Perot cavity containing one atom strongly coupled to the cavity field. The underlying blockade mechanism was the quantum anharmonicity of the ladder of energy levels for the composite atom-cavity system. Beyond this structural effect, a new % dynamical mechanism was identified in Ref. [3] for which photon transport is regulated by the conditional state of one intracavity atom, leading to an efficient mechanism that is insensitive to many experimental imperfections and which achieves high efficiency for single-photon transport. The experiment utilized the interaction of an atom with the fields of a microtoroidal resonator [4]. Regulation was achieved by way of an interference effect involving the directly transmitted optical field, the intracavity field in the absence of the atom, and the polarization field radiated by the atom, with the requisite nonlinearity provided by the quantum character of the emission from one atom.[1] R. Miller, T. E. Northup, K. M. Birnbaum, A. Boca, A. D. Boozer, and H. J

We consider the dynamics and thermodynamics of a pair of magnetic dipoles interacting via their magnetic fields. We consider only the ‘spin’ degrees of freedom; the dipoles are fixed in space. With this restriction it is possible to provide the general solution of the equations of motion in analytical form. Thermodynamic quantities, such as the specific heat and the zero field susceptibility are calculated analytically or by combining low temperature asymptotic series and a complete high temperature expansion. The thermal expectation value of the autocorrelation function is determined for the low temperature regime and short times including terms linear in T. Furthermore, we have performed Monte Carlo simulations for the system under consideration and compared our analytical results with these.

High-pressure behavior of nitrogen trifluoride (NF{sub 3}) was investigated by Raman and IR spectroscopy at pressures up to 55 GPa and room temperature, as well as by periodic calculations up to 100 GPa. Experimentally, we find three solid-solid phase transitions at 9, 18, and 39.5 GPa. Vibrational spectroscopy indicates that in all observed phases NF{sub 3} remains in the molecular form, in contrast to the behavior of compressed ammonia. This finding is confirmed by density functional theory calculations, which also indicate that the phase transitions of compressed NF{sub 3} are governed by the interplay between lone‑pairinteractions and efficient molecule packing. Although nitrogen trifluoride is molecular in the whole pressure range studied, we show that it can be photodissociated by mid-IR laser radiation. This finding paves the way for the use of NF{sub 3} as an oxidizing and fluorinating agent in high-pressure reactions.

We develop and test an automated technique to model the dynamics of interacting galaxy pairs. We use Identikit as a tool for modelling and matching the morphology and kinematics of the interactingpairs of equal-mass galaxies. In order to reduce the effect of subjective human judgement, we automate the selection of phase space regions used to match simulations to data, and we explore how selection of these regions affects the random uncertainties of parameters in the best-fitting model. In this work, we use an independent set of GADGET SPH simulations as input data to determine the systematic bias in the measured encounter parameters based on the known initial conditions of these simulations. We test both cold gas and young stellar components in the GADGET simulations to explore the effect of choosing H I versus H α as the line-of-sight velocity tracer. We find that we can group the results into tests with good, fair, and poor convergence based on the distribution of parameters of models close to the best-fitting model. For tests with good and fair convergence, we rule out large fractions of parameter space and recover merger stage, eccentricity, pericentric distance, viewing angle, and initial disc orientations within 3σ of the correct value. All of tests on prograde-prograde systems have either good or fair convergence. The results of tests on edge-on discs are less biased than face-on tests. Retrograde and polar systems do not converge and may require constraints from regions other than the tidal tails and bridges.

Elemental bulk lead (Pb) is a conventional type I, spin-singlet (s-wave) superconductor with a critical temperature T c = 7.2 K and a critical magnetic field H c = 800 Oe. However, it is known that at mesoscopic length scales, like in point-contact geometries, Pb shows significantly higher critical field, sometimes up to several Tesla. We have used this property to trap a small superconducting nano-droplet of Pb by forming a metallic point contact on Pb and then applying a magnetic field larger than 800 Oe that drives the bulk of the material non-superconducting. From systematic magnetic field dependent behaviour of the point-contact spectra measured across such a trapped island of Pb we show that the superconducting order parameter of mesoscopic Pb mixes non-trivially with magnetic field possibly due to the emergence of a local spin-triplet component at such length scales. From comparative studies with Nb-based point contacts we surmise that the strong spin-orbit coupling in Pb leads to the emergence of the unconventional component in the order parameter of mesoscopic Pb. PMID:27251201

Elemental bulk lead (Pb) is a conventional type I, spin-singlet (s-wave) superconductor with a critical temperature T c = 7.2 K and a critical magnetic field H c = 800 Oe. However, it is known that at mesoscopic length scales, like in point-contact geometries, Pb shows significantly higher critical field, sometimes up to several Tesla. We have used this property to trap a small superconducting nano-droplet of Pb by forming a metallic point contact on Pb and then applying a magnetic field larger than 800 Oe that drives the bulk of the material non-superconducting. From systematic magnetic field dependent behaviour of the point-contact spectra measured across such a trapped island of Pb we show that the superconducting order parameter of mesoscopic Pb mixes non-trivially with magnetic field possibly due to the emergence of a local spin-triplet component at such length scales. From comparative studies with Nb-based point contacts we surmise that the strong spin–orbit coupling in Pb leads to the emergence of the unconventional component in the order parameter of mesoscopic Pb.

In this paper a short historical account of the discovery of superconductivity and of its gradual development is given. The physical interpretation of its various aspects took about forty years (from 1911 to 1957) to reach a successful description of this phenomenon in terms of a microscopic theory At the very end it seemed that more or less everything could be reasonably interpreted even if modifications and refinements of the original theory were necessary. In 1986 the situation changed abruptly when a cautious but revolutionary paper appeared showing that superconductivity was found in certain ceramic oxides at temperatures above those up to then known. A rush of frantic experimental activity started world-wide and in less than one year it was shown that superconductivity is a much more widespread phenomenon than deemed before and can be found at temperatures well above the liquid air boiling point. The complexity and the number of the substances (mainly ceramic oxides) involved call for a sort of modern alchemy if compounds with the best superconducting properties are to be manufactured. We don't use the word alchemy in a deprecatory sense but just to emphasise that till now nobody can say why these compounds are what they are: superconductors.

In this work we study the similarity between the wave functions of q -deformed harmonic oscillator and wave functions of Cooper pair. The wave functions of Cooper pairs in coordinate-space have an “onion-like” layered structure with exponent decay (Boltzmann) envelope modulation. The ground state wave function of q -deform harmonic oscillator has the form of oscillate functions with Gaussian decay envelope modulation. The corresponding between Boltzmann and Gaussian forms of envelope functions and their quantum similarity are discussed.

We study how the Rashba spin-orbit interaction influences unconventional superconductivity in a two-dimensional electron gas partially spin polarized by a magnetic field. Somewhat surprisingly, we find that for all field orientations, only the larger Fermi surface is superconducting. When the magnetic field is oriented out of plane, the system realizes a topological p +i p pairing state. When the field is rotated in plane, the order parameter develops nodes along the field direction and finite center-of-mass-momentum pairing is realized. We demonstrate that the pairing symmetry of the system can be easily probed experimentally due to the dependence of various thermodynamic quantities on the magnetic field geometry, and calculate the electronic specific heat as an example.

In the field of iron-based superconductors, one of the frontier studies is about the pairing mechanism. The recently discovered (Li1−xFex)OHFeSe superconductor with the transition temperature of about 40 K provides a good platform to check the origin of double superconducting gaps and high transition temperature in the monolayer FeSe thin film. Here we report a scanning tunnelling spectroscopy study on the (Li1−xFex)OHFeSe single crystals. The tunnelling spectrum mimics that of the monolayer FeSe thin film and shows double gaps at about 14.3 and 8.6 meV. Further analysis based on the quasiparticle interference allows us to rule out the d-wave gap, and for the first time assign the larger (smaller) gap to the outer (inner) Fermi pockets (after folding) associating with the dxy (dxz/dyz) orbitals, respectively. The gap ratio amounts to 8.7, which demonstrates the strong coupling mechanism in the present superconducting system. PMID:26822281

Ru NMR and nuclear quadrupole resonance studies are reported on single-crystal Sr{sub 2}RuO{sub 4} (T{sub c}=0.7 K) with the same layered perovskite structure as La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}. The Pauli spin susceptibility deduced from the Ru Knight shift is found to be largely enhanced by a factor of {approximately}5.4 as compared with the value from the band calculation. In the superconducting state, the nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T{sub 1} exhibits a sharp decrease with no coherence peak just below T{sub c} and the T{sub 1}T=constant behavior well below T{sub c}, suggesting that the anisotropic pairing state is realized as in heavy-fermion and high-T{sub c} superconductors. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

A determination of the superconducting (SC) electron pairing symmetry forms the basis for establishing a microscopic mechansim for superconductivity. For iron pnictide superconductors, the s{sup {+-}}-pairing symmetry theory predicts the presence of a sharp neutron spin resonance at an energy below the sum of hole and electron SC gap energies (E {le} 2{Delta}). Although the resonances have been observed for various iron pnictide superconductors, they are broad in energy and can also be interpreted as arising from the s{sup ++}-pairing symmetry with E {ge} 2{Delta}. Here we use inelastic neutron scattering to reveal a sharp resonance at E = 7 meV in the SC NaFe{sub 0.935}Co{sub 0.045}As (T{sub c} = 18 K). By comparing our experiments with calculated spin-excitations spectra within the s{sup {+-}} and s{sup ++}-pairing symmetries, we conclude that the resonance in NaFe{sub 0.935}Co{sub 0.045}As is consistent with the s{sup {+-}}-pairing symmetry, thus eliminating s{sup ++}-pairing symmetry as a candidate for superconductivity.

We report the characteristics of Bi-2212 intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJ) showing single-Cooper-pair tunneling effect with a decrease of their in-plane area, S, smaller than a micron scale. The junctions show the typical slope of critical current and current peak-like structure up to 37 K.

The development of the fundamental superconducting (SC) energy scales—the SC energy gap Δ and the superfluid stiffness J —of granular aluminum, i.e., thin films composed of coupled nanograins, is studied by means of optical THz spectroscopy. Starting from well-coupled grains, Δ grows as the grains are progressively decoupled, causing the unconventional increase of Tc with sample resistivity. When the grain coupling is suppressed further, Δ saturates while the critical temperature Tc decreases, concomitantly with a sharp decline of J , delimiting a SC dome in the phase diagram. This crossover to a phase-driven SC transition is accompanied by an optical gap surviving into the normal state above Tc. We demonstrate that granular aluminum is an ideal testbed to understand the interplay between quantum confinement and global SC phase coherence due to nanoinhomogeneity.

A microscopic analysis of the superconducting quantum critical point realized via a pair-breaking quantum phase transition is presented. Finite-temperature crossovers are derived for the electrical conductivity, which is a key probe of superconducting fluctuations. By using the diagrammatic formalism for disordered systems, we are able to incorporate the interplay between fluctuating Cooper pairs and electrons, that is outside the scope of a time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau or effective bosonic action formalism. It is essential to go beyond the standard approximation in order to capture the zero-temperature correction which results purely from the (dynamic) quantum fluctuations and dictates the behavior of the conductivity in an entire low-temperature quantum regime. All dynamic contributions are of the same order and conspire to add up to a negative total, thereby inhibiting the conductivity as a result of superconducting fluctuations. On the contrary, the classical and the intermediate regimes are dominated by the positive bosonic channel. Our theory is applicable in one, two, and three dimensions and is relevant for experiments on superconducting nanowires, doubly connected cylinders, thin films, and bulk in the presence of magnetic impurities, magnetic field, or other pair breakers. A window of nonmonotonic behavior is predicted to exist as either the temperature or the pair-breaking parameter is swept.

This study, framed within sociocultural theory, examines the interaction of adult ESL test-takers in two tests of oral proficiency: one in which they interacted with an examiner (the individual format) and one in which they interacted with another student (the paired format). The data for the eight pairs in this study were drawn from a larger…

Recent ARPES measurements on Co-doped LiFeAs report a large and robust superconducting gap on a band below the chemical potential. We will show that, unlike a conventional BCS theory, a multiband system with strong interband Coulomb interactions can explain the observations. We use a two-band model consisting of a superconducting electron band and a hole band that is below the chemical potential. The two bands are coupled via interband Coulomb interactions. Using Eliashberg theory, we found that superconductivity in the electron band induces a large superconducting gap in the hole band. Furthermore, the repulsive nature of the Coulomb interactions gives the induced gap an opposite sign, corresponding to an s+/- gap symmetry. Unlike other families of iron pnictides, the gap symmetry of LiFeAs has not been ascertained experimentally. The implications for the superconducting mechanism in iron pnictides will be discussed. Z. Leong is supported by a scholarship from the Agency of Science, Technology and Research. P. Phillips is supported by the Center for Emergent Superconductivity, a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center, Grant No. DE-AC0298CH1088.

Arrays of ultra high-density (1.2 Tera/in2) vertical ferromagnetic cobalt nanowires with aligned shape and crystal magnetic-anisotropy axes are fabricated by electro-deposition in nanoporous polymer templates. The nanoporous films are derived from self-assembling PS-b-PMMA diblock-copolymers, which can provide lateral structure dimensions on the order of 10 nm, small enough to make cobalt nanowires in magnetic single-domain regime. An optimized fabrication procedure is developed for arrays of cobalt nanowires with enhanced perpendicular-to-plane magnetic anisotropy, by combining effects of shape anisotropy with perpendicularly oriented uniaxial magneto-crystalline anisotropy of hcp Co. Special conditions of electrolyte pH (pH>5.1) are required to obtain the desired c-axis crystal orientation, and pulse electrodeposition conditions are found to improve the overall perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, resulting in array-coercivities as large as 2.7 kOe at 300 K. X-ray diffraction and SQUID magnetometry measurements are used to characterize their structural and magnetic properties. A numerical model for the magnetization dynamics of an array of single-domain particles with vertically-aligned anisotropy axes is presented, which includes finite temperature effects, and magnetostatic interactions in a mean-field approximation. The model can qualitatively describe most features of the magnetization behavior, such as the temperature dependence of array-coercivity, "shearing" of the magnetization curves and the reduction of array-coercivity due to array demagnetization effects. Qualitative agreement is also obtained with the observed slow-relaxation magnetization decay of the cobalt nanowire arrays. To investigate particle non-uniformity effects, the model was further extended to include a distribution in energy barriers and particle volumes. The last part is concerned with the experimental investigation of the collective behavior of arrays of superconducting lead (Pb

We consider the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction between magnetic impurities on the surface of a three-dimensional topological insulator with proximity induced superconductivity. A superconductor placed on the top of the topological insulator induces a gap in the surface electron states and gives rise to a long-range in-plane antiferromagnetic RKKY interaction. This interaction is frustrated due to strong spin-orbit coupling, inversely proportional to the distance between magnetic impurities if the distance between magnetic impurities is smaller than the superconducting coherence length, and dominates over the ferromagnetic and Dzialoshinskii-Moriya type interactions if the distance between magnetic impurities is larger than the superconducting coherence length. The condition for the subgap states that are bound to the magnetic impurities is found.

There is a great deal of fundamental and practical interest in the possibility of inducing superconductivity in a monolayer of graphene. But while bulk graphite can be made to superconduct when certain metal atoms are intercalated between its graphene sheets, the same has not been achieved in a single layer. Moreover, there is a considerable debate about the precise mechanism of superconductivity in intercalated graphite. Here we report angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy measurements of the superconducting graphite intercalation compound CaC6 that distinctly resolve both its intercalant-derived interlayer band and its graphene-derived π* band. Our results indicate the opening of a superconducting gap in the π* band and reveal a substantial contribution to the total electron–phonon-coupling strength from the π*-interlayer interband interaction. Combined with theoretical predictions, these results provide a complete account for the superconducting mechanism in graphite intercalation compounds and lend support to the idea of realizing superconducting graphene by creating an adatom superlattice. PMID:24651261

A study analyzed the discourse of four pairs of students participating in dyadic interactive communicative tasks (ICTs) to discover if and how their discourse styles influenced the dynamics of interaction. Students were paired according to their teacher's evaluation of their discourse style as active or non-active, and were designated sender or…

In this contribution, the author mentions some features of pairing forces that are unique to nuclei and cover some areas of major interest in nuclear structure research, that involve pairing. At the level of most nuclear structure studies, nuclei are treated as consisting of two kinds of fermions (protons and neutrons) in a valence space with rather few levels. These features give rise to unique aspects of pairing forces in nuclei: (1) n-p pairing in T = 0 as well as the usual T = 1 pairing that is characteristic of like fermions; (2) a need to correct pairing calculations for the (1/N) effects that can typically be neglected in superconducting solids. An issue of current concern is the nature of the pairinginteraction: several recent studies suggest a need for a density dependent form of the pairinginteraction. There is a good deal of feedback between the questions of accurate calculations of pairinginteractions and the form and magnitude of the pairinginteraction. Finally, the authors discuss some many-body wave functions that are a generalization of the BCS wave function form, and apply them to a calculation of energy level spacings in superdeformed rotational bands.

We theoretically investigate k-space structures of dx2-y2-wave superconducting (SC) and spin-density-wave (SDW) orders in their coexistent phase induced by a paramagnetic pair-breaking (PPB) effect in relation to the high-field and low-temperature SC phase in CeCoIn5. It is shown that, in k space, the SDW order develops near the gap nodes where the SC order is suppressed by PPB, and the nesting condition for the SDW ordering is satisfied. By comparing the results in the dx2-y2-wave SC model and those in an artificial model with no sign change of the gap function in k space with each other, it is shown that the dx2-y2-wave SC and SDW orders are enhanced altogether in k space due to the sign change of the dx2-y2-wave gap function there, and that this mutual enhancement largely stabilizes the coexistence of these orders in real space. It is also discussed that the field dependence of a SDW moment can be affected by the k-space structure of these orders, which is dependent on the curvature of the Fermi surface.

MoS2 is an archetypal layered semiconductor; monolayer shows out-of-plane spin polarization at the K-points due to intrinsic Zeeman-type spin-orbit coupling (SOC) derived from its in-plane broken inversion symmetry. By ionic-liquid gating, almost all carriers are confined only to topmost layer, realizing two-dimensional superconductivity in this system. We reported the first observation of a huge in-plane upper critical field of about 52 T and a clear saturating behaviour in the low temperatures using pulsed magnetic fields up to 55 T. From first-principles-based tight binding supercell calculations followed by realistic numerical calculations of Hc 2 based on the subband structure, we revealed that this unusual behavior is due to the moderately large Zeeman-type spin splitting of 13 meV at the Fermi level (vicinity of the K points). This forces Cooper pairs to be completely aligned to out-of-plane direction by spin-valley locking effect, thereby causing the dramatic enhancement of the Pauli limit Our calculation also indicates that even if the carrier density and then spin splitting (9-15 meV) at the Fermi level changes, the Pauli limit is predominantly controlled by both the Zeeman-type SOI and Tc, and the contribution of Rashba-type SOI is negligibly small.

A cranked mean-field model that takes into account both T=1 and T=0 pairinginteractions is presented. The like-particle pairinginteraction is described by means of a standard seniority force. The neutron-proton channel includes simultaneously correlations among particles moving in time reversed orbits (T=1) and identical orbits (T=0). The coupling between different pairing channels and nuclear rotation is taken into account selfconsistently. Approximate number-projection is included by means of the Lipkin-Nogami method. The transitions between different pairing phases are discussed as a function of neutron/proton excess, T{sub z}, and rotational frequency, {Dirac_h}{omega}.

Activity of pairs of crude extracts of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) containing different bacteriocins (nisin, pediocin AcH, lacticin 481, lactacin F, and lactacin B) was measured against 10 different indicator strains. Experiments were carried out both in liquid and on solid media. Both synergisms and antagonisms were observed. Lacticin 481 produced mainly antagonistic effects whereas pediocin AcH produced mainly synergistic effects. The use of more than one LAB bacteriocin as a combination biopreservative might be envisaged. PMID:9766080

The authors consider vortex lattice interaction with transverse surface magnetoacoustic wave in high-{Tc} superconductor-ferrite structure. It has been found that the magnetoacoustic waves excited in the ferrite can be efficiently coupled with vortex structure in superconducting film. The nonlinear effect of vortex drift as well as the possibility of the wave amplification are discussed.

Interacting Fermi systems in the strongly correlated regime play a fundamental role in many areas of physics and are of particular interest to the condensed matter community. Though weakly interacting fermions are understood, strongly correlated fermions are difficult to describe theoretically as there is no small interaction parameter to expand about. Existing strong-coupling theories rely heavily on the so-called many-body T -matrix approximation that sums ladder-type Feynman diagrams. Here, by acknowledging the fact that the effective interparticle interaction (i.e., the vertex function) becomes smaller above three dimensions, we propose an alternative way to reorganize Feynman diagrams and develop a theoretical framework for interacting Fermi gases beyond the ladder approximation. As an application, we solve the equation of state for three- and two-dimensional strongly interacting fermions and find excellent agreement with experimental [M. J. H. Ku et al., Science 335, 563 (2012), 10.1126/science.1214987] and other theoretical results above temperatures of 0.5 TF .

Systems of long-range interacting particles present typically 'quasi-stationary' states (QSS). Investigating their lifetime for a generic pairinteraction V(r{yields}{infinity}){approx}1/r{sup {gamma}} we give a classification of the range of the interactions according to the dynamical properties of the system.

Using the impulsive approximation to study the velocity changes of stars during disk-sphere collisions and a method due to Bottlinger to study the post collision orbits of stars, the formation of various types of interacting galaxies is studied as a function of the distance of closest approach between the two galaxies.

It has been shown that there are not only transverse but also longitudinal couplings between microwave fields and a superconducting qubit with broken inversion symmetry of the potential energy. Using multiphoton processes induced by longitudinal coupling fields and frequency matching conditions, we design a universal algorithm to produce arbitrary superpositions of two-mode photon states of microwave fields in two separated transmission line resonators, which are coupled to a superconducting qubit. Based on our algorithm, we analyze the generation of evenly-populated states and NOON states. Compared to other proposals with only single-photon process, we provide an efficient way to produce entangled microwave photon states when the interactions between superconducting qubits and microwave fields are in the strong and ultrastrong regime.

It has been shown that there are not only transverse but also longitudinal couplings between microwave fields and a superconducting qubit with broken inversion symmetry of the potential energy. Using multiphoton processes induced by longitudinal coupling fields and frequency matching conditions, we design a universal algorithm to produce arbitrary superpositions of two-mode photon states of microwave fields in two separated transmission line resonators, which are coupled to a superconducting qubit. Based on our algorithm, we analyze the generation of evenly-populated states and NOON states. Compared to other proposals with only single-photon process, we provide an efficient way to produce entangled microwave photon states when the interactions between superconducting qubits and microwave fields are in the strong and ultrastrong regime. PMID:27033558

We explore the algebraic realization of the Pairing-Plus-Quadrupole Model/PQM/ in the framework of the Elliott‘s SU(3) Model with the aim to obtain the complementary and competing features of the two interactions through the relation between the pairing and the SU(3) bases. First, we establish a correspondence between the SO(8) pairing basis and the Elliott's SU(3) basis. It is derived from their complementarity to the same LST coupling chain of the shell-model number-conserving algebra. The probability distribution of the SU(3) basis states within the SO(8) pairing states is also obtained and allows the investigation of the interplay between the pairing and quadrupole interactions in the Hamiltonian of the PQM, containing both of them as limiting cases. The description of some realistic N∼Z nuclear systems is investigated in a SU(3)-symmetry-adapted basis within a model space of one and two oscillator shells.

The problem of predicting the growth of a system of cracks, each crack influencing the growth of the others, arises in multiple fields. We develop an analytical framework toward this aim, which we apply to the 'En-Passant' family of crack growth problems, in which a pair of initially parallel, offset cracks propagate nontrivially toward each other under far-field opening stress. We utilize boundary integral and perturbation methods of linear elasticity, linear elastic fracture mechanics, and common crack opening criteria to calculate the first analytical model for curved En-Passant crack paths. The integral system is reduced under a hierarchy of approximations, producing three methods of increasing simplicity for computing crack paths. The last such method is a major highlight of this work, using an asymptotic matching argument to predict crack paths based on superposition of simple, single-crack fields. Within the corresponding limits of the three methods, all three are shown to agree with each other. We provide comparisons to exact results and existing experimental data to verify certain approximation steps. PMID:26330342

Ionic liquids (ILs) being composed of bulky multiatomic ions reveal a plethora of non-covalent interactions which determine their microscopic structure. In order to establish the main peculiarities of these interactions in an IL-environment, we have performed quantum chemical calculations for a set of representative model molecular clusters. These calculations were coupled with advanced methods of analysis of the electron density distribution, namely, the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and the non-covalent interaction (NCI; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2010, 132, 6499) approaches. The former allows for profound quantitative characterization of non-covalent interactions between atoms while the latter gives an overview of spatial extent, delocalization, and relative strength of such interactions. The studied systems consist of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (Bmim(+)) cations and different perfluorinated anions: tetrafluoroborate (BF4(-)), hexafluorophosphate (PF6(-)), trifluoromethanesulfonate (TfO(-)), and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI(-)). IL ion pairs and ion pair dimers were considered as model structures for the neat ILs and large aggregates. Weak electrostatic hydrogen bonding was found between the anions and the imidazolium ring hydrogen atoms of cations. Weaker but still appreciable hydrogen bonding was also noted for hydrogen atoms adjacent to the imidazolium ring alkyl groups of Bmim(+). The relative strength of the hydrogen bonding is higher in BmimTfO and BmimBF4 ILs than in BmimPF6 and BmimTFSI, whereas BmimTfO and BmimTFSI reveal higher sensitivity of hydrogen bonding at the different hydrogen atoms of the imidazolium ring. PMID:26059822

We study the competition between unconventional superconductingpairing and charge density wave (CDW) formation for the two-dimensional Edwards Hamiltonian at half filling, a very general two-dimensional transport model in which fermionic charge carriers couple to a correlated background medium. Using the projective renormalization method we find that a strong renormalization of the original fermionic band causes a new hole-like Fermi surface to emerge near the center of the Brillouin zone, before it eventually gives rise to the formation of a charge density wave. On the new, disconnected parts of the Fermi surface superconductivity is induced with a sign-changing order parameter. We discuss these findings in the light of recent experiments on iron-based oxypnictide superconductors. PMID:26935887

We study the competition between unconventional superconductingpairing and charge density wave (CDW) formation for the two-dimensional Edwards Hamiltonian at half filling, a very general two-dimensional transport model in which fermionic charge carriers couple to a correlated background medium. Using the projective renormalization method we find that a strong renormalization of the original fermionic band causes a new hole-like Fermi surface to emerge near the center of the Brillouin zone, before it eventually gives rise to the formation of a charge density wave. On the new, disconnected parts of the Fermi surface superconductivity is induced with a sign-changing order parameter. We discuss these findings in the light of recent experiments on iron-based oxypnictide superconductors.

We study the competition between unconventional superconductingpairing and charge density wave (CDW) formation for the two-dimensional Edwards Hamiltonian at half filling, a very general two-dimensional transport model in which fermionic charge carriers couple to a correlated background medium. Using the projective renormalization method we find that a strong renormalization of the original fermionic band causes a new hole-like Fermi surface to emerge near the center of the Brillouin zone, before it eventually gives rise to the formation of a charge density wave. On the new, disconnected parts of the Fermi surface superconductivity is induced with a sign-changing order parameter. We discuss these findings in the light of recent experiments on iron-based oxypnictide superconductors. PMID:26935887

The problem of pairing in semi-infinite nuclear matter is considered in the Brueckner approach. Equations for effective pairinginteraction in semi-infinite matter are derived for the case of the separable representation of realistic NN interaction. The propagator of two noninteracting particles in a semi-infinite potential well is calculated numerically. The equation for effective interaction is solved for a model 8-shaped NN interaction, which correctly reproduces NN scattering in the low-energy limit. 15 refs., 10 figs.

Graphene is an excellent multi-functional platform for electrons, photons, and phonons due to exceptional electronic, photonic, and thermal properties. When combining its extraordinary mechanical characteristics with optical properties, graphene-based nanostructures can serve as an appealing platform for optomechanical applications at the nanoscale. Here, we demonstrate, using full-wave simulations, the emergence of extremely strong bipolar optical forces, or, optical binding and anti-binding, between a pair of coupled graphene nanoribbons, due to the remarkable confinement and enhancement of optical fields arising from the large effective mode indices. In particular, the binding and anti-binding forces, which are about two orders of magnitude stronger than that in metamaterials and high-Q resonators, can be tailored by selective excitation of either the even or the odd optical modes, achievable by tuning the relative phase of the lightwaves propagating along the two ribbons. Based on the coupled mode theory, we derive analytical formulae for the bipolar optical forces, which agree well with the numerical results. The attractive optical binding force F(y)(b) and the repulsive anti-binding force F(y)(a) exhibit a remarkably different dependence on the gap distance g between the nanoribbons and the Fermi energy E(F), in the forms of F(y)(b) ∝ 1/√(g³E(F)) and F(y)(a) ∝ 1/E(F)(2). With E(F) dynamically tunable by bias voltage, the bipolar forces may provide a flexible handle for active control of the nanoscale optomechanical effects, and also, might be significant for optoelectronic and optothermal applications as well. PMID:26948095

We present preliminary results of the spectral analysis on the radial distributions of the star formation history in both, a galaxy merger and a spiral isolated galaxy observed with MaNGA. We find that the central part of the isolated galaxy is composed by older stellar population ($\\sim$2 Gyr) than in the outskirts ($\\sim$7 Gyr). Also, the time-scale is gradually larger from 1 Gyr in the inner part to 3 Gyr in the outer regions of the galaxy. In the case of the merger, the stellar population in the central region is older than in the tails, presenting a longer time-scale in comparison to central part in the isolated galaxy. Our results are in agreement with a scenario where spiral galaxies are built from inside-out. In the case of the merger, we find evidence that interactions enhance star formation in the central part of the galaxy.

Density Functional Theory is used to investigate a weakly coordinating room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium tetracyanoborate ([Emim]{sup +}[TCB]{sup -}). Four locally stable conformers of the ion pair were located. Atoms-in-molecules (AIM) and electron density analysis indicated the existence of several hydrogen bonds. Further investigation through the Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) and Natural Energy Decomposition Analysis (NEDA) calculations provided insight into the origin of interactions in the [Emim]{sup +}[TCB]{sup -} ion pair. Strength of molecular interactions in the ionic liquid was correlated with frequency shifts of the characteristic vibrations of the ion pair. Harmonic vibrations of the ion pair were also compared with the experimental Raman and Infrared spectra. Vibrational frequencies were assigned by visualizing displacements of atoms around their equilibrium positions and through Potential Energy Distribution (PED) analysis.

We explore the dynamical symmetries of the shell model number conserving algebra, which define three types of pairing and quadrupole phases, with the aim to obtain the prevailing phase or phase transition for the real nuclear systems in a single shell. This is achieved by establishing a correspondence between each of the pairing bases with the Elliott's SU(3) basis that describes collective rotation of nuclear systems. This allows for a complete classification of the basis states of different number of particles in all the limiting cases. The probability distribution of the SU(3) basis states within theirs corresponding pairing states is also obtained. The relative strengths of dynamically symmetric quadrupole-quadrupole interaction in respect to the isoscalar, isovector and total pairinginteractions define a control parameter, which estimates the importance of each term of the Hamiltonian in the correct reproduction of the experimental data for the considered nuclei.

Precision measurements of collective mode frequencies in superfluid {sup 3}He-B are sensitive to quasiparticle and f-wave pairinginteractions. Measurements were performed at various pressures using interference of transverse sound in an acoustic cavity. We fit the measured collective mode frequencies, which depend on the strength of f-wave pairing and the Fermi liquid parameter F{sub 2}{sup s}, to theoretical predictions and discuss what implications these values have for observing new order parameter collective modes.

Micropatterning is a powerful technique to control cell shape and position on a culture substrate. In this chapter, we describe the method to reproducibly create large numbers of micropatterned heterotypic cell pairs with defined size, shape, and length of cell–cell contact. These cell pairs can be utilized in patch clamp recordings to quantify electrical interactions between cardiomyocytes and non-cardiomyocytes. PMID:25070342

Recently, theoretical studies have advertised EM resonator arrays, coherently coupled to artificial atoms (e.g., superconducting qubits) as a new venue for constructing quantum simulators for strongly correlated states of matter [1]. Here, we explore the possibilities of breaking time-reversal symmetry in such interacting photon systems by coupling transmission line resonators via a superconducting circuit. We demonstrate that, given an external magnetic field and a mechanism for breaking particle-hole symmetry, such a circuit can produce complex phases in the hopping amplitudes for photons. Finally, we address the prospects of this scheme for studying new quantum phase transitions in interacting photon systems, and the realization of novel 2D lattices for photons, such as the Kagome lattice. [4pt] [1] M. J. Hartmann, F. G. S. L. Brandão, and M. B. Plenio, Laser & Photonics Review 2, 527 (2008), and references therein.

In the hydrodynamic formulation of the scale relativity theory one shows that a stable vortices distribution of bipolaron type induces superconductingpairs by means of the quantum potential. Then, usual mechanisms (as, for example, the exchange interaction used in the bipolaron theory) are reduced to the coherence on the subquantum medium, the superconductingpairs resulting as a one-dimensional projection of a fractal. The temperature dependences of the superconducting parameters (coherence length, critical speed, pair breaking time, carriers concentration, penetration depth, critical field, critical current) and the concordance with the experimental data and other theories are analyzed.

We derive a Kondo Lattice model with a correlated conduction band from a two-band Hubbard Hamiltonian. This mapping allows us to describe the emergence of a robust pairing mechanism in a model that only contains repulsive interactions. The mechanism is due to topological confinement and results from the interplay between antiferromagnetism and delocalization. By using Density-Matrix-Renormalization-Group (DMRG) we demonstrate that this mechanism leads to dominant superconducting correlations in aID-system.

With the advent of 10 PW laser facilities, new regimes of laser-matter interaction are opening since QED effects come into play. Due to the radiation reaction which takes place in ultra-intense laser-matter interactions, charged particles lose their energy by emitting high-energy photons. These photons can in the strong laser field create electron-positron pairs via Breit-Wheeler process. One possible interaction scenario leading to efficient generation of pairs is the interaction of two colliding laser pulses with an electron target lying in the common focal spot. In our PIC simulations, gamma-ray photon emission and pair production are studied for different laser wavelengths, intensities and both laser polarization. According to our results, linearly polarized laser pulses seem to be more convenient for efficient pair creation. The role of ions contained in the target and its density are also assessed. Results are compared with the different interaction configuration when the energetic electron bunch interacts with one counter-propagating laser pulse. This research has been partially supported by the Czech Science Foundation (Project No. 15-02964S).

Recent experimental studies on the Watson Crick type base pairing of triazine and aminopyrimidine derivatives suggest that acid/base properties of the constituent bases might be related to the duplex stabilities measured in solution. Herein we use high-level quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the base pairing and stacking interactions of seven selected base pairs, which are common in that they are stabilized by two NH O hydrogen bonds separated by one NH N hydrogen bond. We show that neither the base pairing nor the base stacking interaction energies correlate with the reported pKa data of the bases and the melting points of the duplexes. This suggests that the experimentally observed correlation between the melting point data of the duplexes and the pKa values of the constituent bases is not rooted in the intrinsic base pairing and stacking properties. The physical chemistry origin of the observed experimental correlation thus remains unexplained and requires further investigations. In addition, since our calculations are carried out with extrapolation to the complete basis set of atomic orbitals and with inclusion of higher electron correlation effects, they provide reference data for stacking and base pairing energies of non-natural bases.

In this paper we study yrast states of 128,126,124Sn and 104,106,108Sn by using the monopole-optimized realistic interactions in terms of both the shell model (SM) and the nucleon-pair approximation (NPA). For yrast states of 128,126Sn and 104,106Sn, we calculate the overlaps between the wave functions obtained in the full SM space and those obtained in the truncated NPA space, and find that most of these overlaps are very close to 1. Very interestingly, for most of these states with positive parity and even spin or with negative parity and odd spin, the SM wave function is found to be well represented by one nucleon-pair basis state, viz., a simple picture of "nucleon-pair states" (nucleon-pair configuration without mixings) emerges. In 128,126Sn, the positive-parity (or negative-parity) yrast states with spin J >10 (or J >7 ) are found to be well described by breaking one or two S pairs in the 101+ (or 71-) state, i.e., the yrast state of seniority-two, spin-maximum, and positive-parity (or negative-parity), into non-S pair(s). Similar regularity is also pointed out for 104,106Sn. The evolution of E 2 transition rates between low-lying states in 128,126,124Sn is discussed in terms of the seniority scheme.

Based on the Dirac-Bogoliubov-de Gennes equation, the chirality-resolved transport properties through a ballistic graphene-based superconducting heterojunction with both the Rashba and the Dresselhaus spin orbit interaction have been investigated. Our results show that, in contrast to the retro-Andreev reflection suppressed by the spin orbit interaction (SOI), the specular Andreev reflection (SAR) can be enhanced largely by the SOI. Moreover, the Fabry-Perot interferences in the barrier region lead to the oscillating feature of the tunneling conductance. It is anticipated to apply the qualitative different results to diagnose the SAR in single layer graphene in the presence of both kinds of the SOI.

Comparing photoemission measurements on Bi2212 with penetration depth data, we show that a description of the nodal excitations of the d -wave superconducting state in terms of noninteracting quasiparticles is inadequate, and we estimate the magnitude and doping dependence of the Landau interaction parameter which renormalizes the linear T contribution to the superfluid density. Furthermore, although consistent with d -wave symmetry, the gap with underdoping cannot be fit by the simple cos k{sub x}{minus}cos k{sub y} form, which suggests an increasing importance of long range interactions as the insulator is approached. {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society }

Two-Level-Systems (TLS) are one of the main sources of decoherence in superconducting qubits. Some individual and coherent TLS, present in the tunnel barrier of the qubit's Josephson junction, can be coherently operated via the qubit. In the past, experiments on superconducting glasses indicated that quasiparticles may give rise to TLS energy loss similar to Korringa relaxation. We will present experiments in which we use a phase qubit to explore the interaction of single TLS with non-equilibrium quasiparticles. We have implemented in-situ quasiparticle injection by using an on-chip dc-SQUID that is pulse-biased beyond its critical current. The quasiparticle density is calibrated by measuring associated characteristic changes to the qubit resonance frequency and energy relaxation rate. The coherence times of individual TLS is measured in dependence of the non-equilibrium quasiparticle density and compared to thermally generated quasiparticles. PI, KIT, Wolfgang-Gaede-Strasse 1, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.

Two multifunction superconducting magnets in the interaction region (IR) for Beijing electron positron collider upgrade project (BEPCII) have been measured in BESIII detector hall in 2007. Each superconducting magnet package contains multiple concentric layers with several function magnets called as a vertical focusing quadrupole (SCQ), a horizontal corrector (HDC/SCB), a vertical corrector (VDC), a skew quadrupole (SKQ) and three anti-solenoids (AS1, AS2 and AS3) to compensate the experimental detector solenoid field. All these function magnets SCQs, SCB/HDCs, VDCs and SKQs have been measured using two rotating coils. Their integral fields, their high order harmonics contents and the local fields along the beam line are obtained in detail with the rotating coil probe system. Comparing the results to the stretched wire, the differences for the integral fields are less than 0.2%. As a result, the method presented in this paper can be used as an absolute field measurement in our lab.

We observe atom-pair kinetics due to binary dipolar forces by direct imaging of the center-of-mass positions of the individual Rydberg atoms and pair-correlation analysis. To prepare a highly dipolar quantum state, Rydberg-atom ensembles are switched from a weakly- into a strongly-interacting regime via adiabatic state transformation. The transformed atoms exhibit a large permanent electric dipole moment that is locked to the direction of an applied electric field. The resultant electric dipole-dipole forces reveal dumbbell-shaped pair correlation images that demonstrate the anisotropy of the binary dipolar force. The dipole-dipole interaction coefficient C3, derived from the time dependence of the images, agrees with the value calculated from the known permanent electric-dipole moment of the atoms. The observations also show the dynamics reminiscent of disorder-induced heating in strongly coupled particle systems.

The research analyzes the interaction of 24 students (12 pairs) of secondary students when using peer tutoring techniques to learn Catalan. Students worked together in a program to produce an authentic writing experience. Significant increases were observed in pre- and posttest Catalan attainment scores of students. An analysis of the…

This article reports on a study examining the language practice opportunities that occurred during a range of paired and small group interactive tasks in an intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) class of francophone Grade 6 students. The analysis focussed on the opportunities the tasks provided for the use of two complex and challenging…

Prairie vole breeder pairs form monogamous pair bonds, which are maintained through the expression of selective aggression toward novel conspecifics. Here, we utilize behavioral and anatomical techniques to extend the current understanding of neural mechanisms that mediate pair bond maintenance. For both sexes, we show that pair bonding up-regulates mRNA expression for genes encoding D1-like dopamine (DA) receptors and dynorphin as well as enhances stimulated DA release within the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We next show that D1-like receptor regulation of selective aggression is mediated through downstream activation of kappa-opioid receptors (KORs) and that activation of these receptors mediates social avoidance. Finally, we also identified sex-specific alterations in KOR binding density within the NAc shell of paired males and demonstrate that this alteration contributes to the neuroprotective effect of pair bonding against drug reward. Together, these findings suggest motivational and valence processing systems interact to mediate the maintenance of social bonds. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15325.001 PMID:27371827

We report that the Bose Hubbard model (BHM) of interacting bosons in a lattice has been a paradigm in many-body physics, and it exhibits a Mott insulator (MI)-superfluid (SF) transition at integer filling. Here a quantum simulator of the BHM using a superconducting circuit is proposed. Specifically, a superconducting transmission line resonator supporting microwave photons is coupled to a charge qubit to form one site of the BHM, and adjacent sites are connected by a tunable coupler. To obtain a mapping from the superconducting circuit to the BHM, we focus on the dispersive regime where the excitations remain photonlike. Standardmore » perturbation theory is implemented to locate the parameter range where the MI-SF transition may be simulated. This simulator allows single-site manipulations and we illustrate this feature by considering two scenarios where a single-site manipulation can drive a MI-SF transition. The transition can be analyzed by mean-field analyses, and the exact diagonalization was implemented to provide accurate results. The variance of the photon density and the fidelity metric clearly show signatures of the transition. Lastly, experimental realizations and other possible applications of this simulator are also discussed.« less

We report that the Bose Hubbard model (BHM) of interacting bosons in a lattice has been a paradigm in many-body physics, and it exhibits a Mott insulator (MI)-superfluid (SF) transition at integer filling. Here a quantum simulator of the BHM using a superconducting circuit is proposed. Specifically, a superconducting transmission line resonator supporting microwave photons is coupled to a charge qubit to form one site of the BHM, and adjacent sites are connected by a tunable coupler. To obtain a mapping from the superconducting circuit to the BHM, we focus on the dispersive regime where the excitations remain photonlike. Standard perturbation theory is implemented to locate the parameter range where the MI-SF transition may be simulated. This simulator allows single-site manipulations and we illustrate this feature by considering two scenarios where a single-site manipulation can drive a MI-SF transition. The transition can be analyzed by mean-field analyses, and the exact diagonalization was implemented to provide accurate results. The variance of the photon density and the fidelity metric clearly show signatures of the transition. Lastly, experimental realizations and other possible applications of this simulator are also discussed.

With the help of a unified nuclear-structure-direct-reaction theory we analyze the reaction {sup 1}H({sup 11}Li,{sup 9}Li){sup 3}H. The two halo neutrons are correlated through the bare and the induced (medium polarization) pairinginteraction. By considering all dominant reaction channels leading to the population of the 1/2{sup -} (2.69 MeV) first excited state of {sup 9}Li, namely, multistep transfer (successive, simultaneous, and nonorthogonality), breakup, and inelastic channels, it is possible to show that the experiment provides direct evidence of phonon mediated pairing.

Expressions for the conserved linear and angular momenta of a dynamically coupled fluid + solid system are derived. Based on the knowledge of the flow velocity field, these expressions allow the determination of the external forces exerted on a body moving in the fluid such as, e.g., swimming fish. The verification of the derived conserved quantities is done numerically. The interaction of a vortex pair with a circular cylinder in various configurations of motions representing a generic test case for a dynamically coupled fluid + solid system is investigated in a weakly compressible Navier-Stokes setting using a Cartesian cut-cell method, i.e., the moving circular cylinder is represented by cut cells on a moving mesh. The objectives of this study are twofold. The first objective is to show the robustness of the derived expressions for the conserved linear and angular momenta with respect to bounded and discrete data sets. The second objective is to study the coupled dynamics of the vortex pair and a neutrally buoyant cylinder free to move in response to the fluid stresses exerted on its surface. A comparison of the vortex-body interaction with the case of a fixed circular cylinder evidences significant differences in the vortex dynamics. When the cylinder is fixed strong secondary vorticity is generated resulting in a repeating process between the primary vortex pair and the cylinder. In the neutrally buoyant cylinder case, a stable structure consisting of the primary vortex pair and secondary vorticity shear layers stays attached to the moving cylinder. In addition to these fundamental cases, the vortex-pair-cylinder interaction is studied for locomotion at constant speed and locomotion at constant thrust. It is shown that a similar vortex structure like in the neutrally buoyant cylinder case is obtained when the cylinder moves away from the approaching vortex pair at a constant speed smaller than the vortex pair translational velocity. Finally, the idealized

The model of photon and pair production in strong field quantum electrodynamics is implemented into our 1D3V particle-in-cell code with Monte Carlo algorithm. Using this code, the evolution of the particles in ultrahigh intensity laser (∼10{sup 23} W/cm{sup 2}) interaction with aluminum foil target is observed. Four different initial plasma profiles are considered in the simulations. The effects of initial plasma profiles on photon and pair production, energy spectra, and energy evolution are analyzed. The results imply that one can set an optimal initial plasma profile to obtain the desired photon distributions.

The dispersion of asphaltenes by dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) has been the subject of several studies in the past. However, it is unclear how these interactions affect the structure of asphaltenes and why asphaltene aggregates are larger in the presence of ionic DBSA. The main goal of this study was to address these points using a combination of high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Another objective was to compare ionic DBSA (i.e., dodecylbenzenesulfonate or DBS(-)) to nonionic amphiphiles such as alkylphenols. A striking similarity between dodecylbenzenesulfonate and alkylphenols was that both favored the formation of filamentary rather than globular asphaltene flocculates. However the mechanism by which those filaments formed was very different. Two strong electrostatic interactions between DBSA and asphaltenes were found: (i) those between protonated asphaltenes (i.e., AH(+)) and DBS(-) molecules, which were fifteen times stronger than asphaltene-alkylphenol interactions, and (ii) those between two asphaltene-dispersant pairs (i.e., AH(+)-DBS(-) ion pairs), which did not exist with alkylphenols. These interactions promoted the formation of large and compact asphaltene flocculates, as compared to small and loose ones formed without DBSA. Flocculates with DBSA could further bind to each other through ion-pairinteractions. The binding occurred in series (generating long filaments) or in parallel (generating lateral ramifications). However the series configuration was energetically favored due to less steric effects generated by the side aliphatic chains of asphaltenes and DBSA. PMID:25460685

We develop a semi-quantitative theory of electron pairing and resulting superconductivity in bulk 'poor conductors' in which Fermi energy E{sub F} is located in the region of localized states not so far from the Anderson mobility edge E{sub c}. We assume attractive interaction between electrons near the Fermi surface. We review the existing theories and experimental data and argue that a large class of disordered films is described by this model. Our theoretical analysis is based on analytical treatment of pairing correlations, described in the basis of the exact single-particle eigenstates of the 3D Anderson model, which we combine with numerical data on eigenfunction correlations. Fractal nature of critical wavefunction's correlations is shown to be crucial for the physics of these systems. We identify three distinct phases: 'critical' superconductive state formed at E{sub F} = E{sub c}, superconducting state with a strong pseudo-gap, realized due to pairing of weakly localized electrons and insulating state realized at E{sub F} still deeper inside a localized band. The 'critical' superconducting phase is characterized by the enhancement of the transition temperature with respect to BCS result, by the inhomogeneous spatial distribution of superconductive order parameter and local density of states. The major new feature of the pseudo-gapped state is the presence of two independent energy scales: superconducting gap {Delta}, that is due to many-body correlations and a new 'pseudo-gap' energy scale {Delta}{sub P} which characterizes typical binding energy of localized electron pairs and leads to the insulating behavior of the resistivity as a function of temperature above superconductive T{sub c}. Two gap nature of the pseudo-gapped superconductor is shown to lead to specific features seen in scanning tunneling spectroscopy and point-contact Andreev spectroscopy. We predict that pseudo-gapped superconducting state demonstrates anomalous behavior of the optical

New nucleotide pairs applicable to formation of DNA triplexes were developed. We designed oligonucleotides incorporating 5-aryl deoxycytidine derivatives (dC5Ars) and cyclic deoxycytidine derivatives, dCPPP and dCPPI, having an expanded aromatic area, as the second strand. As pairing partners, two types of abasic residues (C3: propylene linker, phi: abasic base) were chosen. It was concluded that, when the 5-aryl-modified cytosine bases paired with the abasic sites in TFOs in a space-fitting manner, the stability of the resulting triplexes significantly increased. The recognition of C3 toward dC5Ars was selective because of the stacking interactions between their aromatic part and the nucleobases flanking the abasic site. These results indicate the potential utility of new nucleotide triplets for DNA triplex formation, which might expand the variety of structures and sequences and might be useful for biorelated fields such as DNA nanotechnologies. PMID:18611007

BACKGROUND: Aboriginal children in Canada are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Given that physical inactivity is an important modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes, prevention efforts targeting Aboriginal children include interventions to enhance physical activity involvement. These types of interventions require adequate assessment of physical activity patterns to identify determinants, detect trends, and evaluate progress towards intervention goals. The purpose of this study was to develop a culturally appropriate interactive computer program to self-report physical activity for Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) children that could be administered in a group setting. This was an ancillary study of the ongoing Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project (KSDPP). METHODS: During Phase I, focus groups were conducted to understand how children describe and graphically depict type, intensity and duration of physical activity. Sixty-six students (40 girls, 26 boys, mean age = 8.8 years, SD = 1.8) from four elementary schools in three eastern Canadian Kanien'kehá:ka communities participated in 15 focus groups. Children were asked to discuss and draw about physical activity. Content analysis of focus groups informed the development of a school-day and non-school-day version of the physical activity interactive recall (PAIR). In Phase II, pilot-tests were conducted in two waves with 17 and 28 children respectively to assess the content validity of PAIR. Observation, videotaping, and interviews were conducted to obtain children's feedback on PAIR content and format. RESULTS: Children's representations of activity type and activity intensity were used to compile a total of 30 different physical activity and 14 non-physical activity response choices with accompanying intensity options. Findings from the pilot tests revealed that Kanien'kehá:ka children between nine and 13 years old could answer PAIR without assistance. Content validity of PAIR was judged to be adequate

Background Aboriginal children in Canada are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes. Given that physical inactivity is an important modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes, prevention efforts targeting Aboriginal children include interventions to enhance physical activity involvement. These types of interventions require adequate assessment of physical activity patterns to identify determinants, detect trends, and evaluate progress towards intervention goals. The purpose of this study was to develop a culturally appropriate interactive computer program to self-report physical activity for Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) children that could be administered in a group setting. This was an ancillary study of the ongoing Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Project (KSDPP). Methods During Phase I, focus groups were conducted to understand how children describe and graphically depict type, intensity and duration of physical activity. Sixty-six students (40 girls, 26 boys, mean age = 8.8 years, SD = 1.8) from four elementary schools in three eastern Canadian Kanien'kehá:ka communities participated in 15 focus groups. Children were asked to discuss and draw about physical activity. Content analysis of focus groups informed the development of a school-day and non-school-day version of the physical activity interactive recall (PAIR). In Phase II, pilot-tests were conducted in two waves with 17 and 28 children respectively to assess the content validity of PAIR. Observation, videotaping, and interviews were conducted to obtain children's feedback on PAIR content and format. Results Children's representations of activity type and activity intensity were used to compile a total of 30 different physical activity and 14 non-physical activity response choices with accompanying intensity options. Findings from the pilot tests revealed that Kanien'kehá:ka children between nine and 13 years old could answer PAIR without assistance. Content validity of PAIR was judged to be adequate

This paper considers the effect of pair production on the precision of D-T controllable neutron source density logging. Firstly, the principle of the traditional density logging and pulsed neutron density logging are analyzed and then gamma ray cross sections as a function of energy for various minerals are compared. In addition, the advantageous areas of Compton scattering and pair production interactions on high-energy gamma ray pulse height spectrum and the errors of a controllable source density measurement are studied using a Monte Carlo simulation method. The results indicate that density logging mainly utilizes the Compton scattering of gamma rays, while the attenuation of neutron induced gamma rays and the precision of neutron gamma density measurements are affected by pair production interactions, particularly in the gamma rays with energy higher than 2MeV. By selecting 0.2-2MeV energy range and performing proper lithology correction, the effect of pair production can be eliminated effectively and the density measurement error can be rendered close to the precision of chemical source density logging. PMID:26945102

Whether or not the weakly doped Mott-Hubbard semiconductor is superconducting remains controversial. We present a new valence bond theory of correlated-electron superconductivity, that has overlap with the original RVB approach, and yet is substantively different. Superconductivity within the theory emerges from a correlated-electron state in which there is a strong tendency to spin-singlet formation, and where the bandwidth due to pair-tunneling is very large. We show that such a situation occurs far away from the 1/2-filled band, at or near banfilling of 1/4. In the presence of electron-phonon interactions the 1/4-filled band can form a spin-paired CDW state that we have called a paired-electron crystal, and that is a Wigner crystal of pairs. In the presence of frustration the spin-paired bonds become mobile to give a paired-electron liquid, which is a precursor to superconductivity. The superconducting state here is reached from a co-operative effect between electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions, and the theory thus has overlap also with the bipolaron theory of superconductivity. We will present exact numerical calculations on a 4x4 lattice using the valence bond basis to substantiate our conjectures. Supported by DOE Grant DE-FG02-06ER46315 and NSF-CHE-151475.

We theoretically study intrinsic superconductivity in doped Dirac semimetals. Dirac semimetals host bulk Dirac points, which are formed by doubly degenerate bands, so the Hamiltonian is described by a 4 ×4 matrix and six types of k -independent pair potentials are allowed by the Fermi-Dirac statistics. We show that the unique spin-orbit coupling leads to characteristic superconducting gap structures and d vectors on the Fermi surface and the electron-electron interaction between intra and interorbitals gives a novel phase diagram of superconductivity. It is found that when the interorbital attraction is dominant, an unconventional superconducting state with point nodes appears. To verify the experimental signature of possible superconducting states, we calculate the temperature dependence of bulk physical properties such as electronic specific heat and spin susceptibility and surface state. In the unconventional superconducting phase, either dispersive or flat Andreev bound states appear between point nodes, which leads to double peaks or a single peak in the surface density of states, respectively. As a result, possible superconducting states can be distinguished by combining bulk and surface measurements.

The stabilization energies for the formation (E{sub form}) of 11 ion pairs of protic and aprotic ionic liquids were studied by MP2/6-311G{sup **} level ab initio calculations to elucidate the difference between the interactions of ions in protic ionic liquids and those in aprotic ionic liquids. The interactions in the ion pairs of protic ionic liquids (diethylmethylammonium [dema] and dimethylpropylammonium [dmpa] based ionic liquids) are stronger than those of aprotic ionic liquids (ethyltrimethylammonium [etma] based ionic liquids). The E{sub form} for the [dema][CF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}] and [dmpa][CF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}] complexes (−95.6 and −96.4 kcal/mol, respectively) are significantly larger (more negative) than that for the [etma][CF{sub 3}SO{sub 3}] complex (−81.0 kcal/mol). The same trend was observed for the calculations of ion pairs of the three cations with the Cl{sup −}, BF{sub 4}{sup −}, TFSA{sup −} anions. The anion has contact with the N–H bond of the dema{sup +} or dmpa{sup +} cations in the most stable geometries of the dema{sup +} and dmpa{sup +} complexes. The optimized geometries, in which the anions locate on the counter side of the cations, are 11.0–18.0 kcal/mol less stable, which shows that the interactions in the ions pairs of protic ionic liquids have strong directionality. The E{sub form} for the less stable geometries for the dema{sup +} and dmpa{sup +} complexes are close to those for the most stable etma{sup +} complexes. The electrostatic interaction, which is the major source of the attraction in the ion pairs, is responsible for the directionality of the interactions and determining the magnitude of the interaction energy. Molecular dynamic simulations of the [dema][TFSA] and [dmpa][TFSA] ionic liquids show that the N–H bonds of the cations have contact with the negatively charged (oxygen and nitrogen) atoms of TFSA{sup −} anion, while the strong directionality of the interactions was not suggested from the simulation

Scientists have traditionally limited the mechanisms of social cognition to one brain, but recent approaches claim that interaction also realizes cognitive work. Experiments under constrained virtual settings revealed that interaction dynamics implicitly guide social cognition. Here we show that embodied social interaction can be constitutive of agency detection and of experiencing another's presence. Pairs of participants moved their “avatars” along an invisible virtual line and could make haptic contact with three identical objects, two of which embodied the other's motions, but only one, the other's avatar, also embodied the other's contact sensor and thereby enabled responsive interaction. Co-regulated interactions were significantly correlated with identifications of the other's avatar and reports of the clearest awareness of the other's presence. These results challenge folk psychological notions about the boundaries of mind, but make sense from evolutionary and developmental perspectives: an extendible mind can offload cognitive work into its environment. PMID:24419102

The density functional method is used to obtain the molecular structure, electron density topography, and vibrational frequencies of the ion pair 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate. Different conformers are simulated on the basis of molecular interactions between the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation and acetate anion. The lowest energy conformers exhibit strong C-H···O interionic interactions compared with other conformers. Characteristic vibrational frequencies of the ion pair and their shifts with respect to free ions are analyzed via the natural bond orbitals and difference electron density maps coupled with molecular electron density topology. Theoretically scaled vibrational frequencies are also compared with the spontaneous Raman scattering and attenuated total reflection infrared absorption measurements.

The isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5426/27 (Arp 271) was observed using the scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer PUMA. The velocity field, various kinematical parameters and rotation curve for each galaxy were derived. We found a small bar-like structure in NGC 5426 and a severely distorted velocity field for NGC 5427. A range of possible masses was computed for each galaxy.

Conditions for the formation of chain structures of charged grains confined in the gravitational field by external electric fields are studied analytically and numerically. The relationships between the parameters of the pairinteraction potential, the number of grains, and the electric field gradient in the trap are found. A criterion for the violation of stable equilibrium in a quasi-one-dimensional chain of grains and the formation of a new configuration in the system is proposed.

We explore the conditions on a pairinteraction for the validity of the Vlasov equation to describe the dynamics of an interacting N -particle system in the large N limit. Using a coarse graining in phase space of the exact Klimontovich equation for the N -particle system, we evaluate, neglecting correlations of density fluctuations, the scalings with N of the terms describing the corrections to the Vlasov equation for the coarse-grained one-particle phase space density. Considering a generic interaction with radial pair force F (r ) , with F (r ) ˜1 /rγ at large scales, and regulated to a bounded behavior below a "softening" scale ɛ , we find that there is an essential qualitative difference between the cases γ d , i.e., depending on the the integrability at large distances of the pair force. In the former case, the corrections to the Vlasov dynamics for a given coarse-grained scale are essentially insensitive to the softening parameter ɛ , while for γ >d the amplitude of these terms is directly regulated by ɛ , and thus by the small scale properties of the interaction. This corresponds to a simple physical criterion for a basic distinction between long-range (γ ≤d ) and short-range (γ >d ) interactions, different from the canonical one (γ ≤d +1 or γ >d +1 ) based on thermodynamic analysis. This alternative classification, based on purely dynamical considerations, is relevant notably to understanding the conditions for the existence of so-called quasistationary states in long-range interacting systems.

Resolving how the early signaling events initiated by cell-cell interactions are transduced into diverse functional outcomes necessitates correlated measurements at various stages. Typical approaches that rely on bulk cocultures and population-wide correlations, however, only reveal these relationships broadly at the population level, not within each individual cell. Here, we present a microfluidics-based cell-cell interaction assay that enables longitudinal investigation of lymphocyte interactions at the single-cell level through microfluidic cell pairing, on-chip culture, and multiparameter assays, and allows recovery of desired cell pairs by micromanipulation for off-chip culture and analyses. Well-defined initiation of interactions enables probing cellular responses from the very onset, permitting single-cell correlation analyses between early signaling dynamics and later-stage functional outcomes within same cells. We demonstrate the utility of this microfluidic assay with natural killer cells interacting with tumor cells, and our findings suggest a possible role for the strength of early calcium signaling in selective coordination of subsequent cytotoxicity and IFN-gamma production. Collectively, our experiments demonstrate that this new approach is well-suited for resolving the relationships between complex immune responses within each individual cell. PMID:27303033

Protein structures are stabilized using noncovalent interactions. In addition to the traditional noncovalent interactions, newer types of interactions are thought to be present in proteins. One such interaction, an anion pair, in which the positively charged edge of an aromatic ring interacts with an anion, forming a favorable anion quadrupole interaction, has been previously proposed [Jackson, M. R., et al. (2007) J. Phys. Chem. B111, 8242 8249]. To study the role of anion interactions in stabilizing protein structure, we analyzed pairwise interactions between phenylalanine (Phe) and the anionic amino acids, aspartate (Asp) and glutamate (Glu). Particular emphasis was focused on identification of Phe Asp or Glu pairs separated by less than 7 in the high-resolution, nonredundant Protein Data Bank. Simplifying Phe to benzene and Asp or Glu to formate molecules facilitated in silico analysis of the pairs. Kitaura Morokuma energy calculations were performed on roughly 19000 benzene formate pairs and the resulting energies analyzed as a function of distance and angle. Edgewise interactions typically produced strongly stabilizing interaction energies (2 to 7.3 kcal/mol), while interactions involving the ring face resulted in weakly stabilizing to repulsive interaction energies. The strongest, most stabilizing interactions were identified as preferentially occurring in buried residues. Anion pairs are found throughout protein structures, in helices as well as strands. Numerous pairs also had nearby cation interactions as well as potential stacking. While more than 1000 structures did not contain an anion pair, the 3134 remaining structures contained approximately 2.6 anion pairs per protein, suggesting it is a reasonably common motif that could contribute to the overall structural stability of a protein.

Using the data obtained previously from Fabry-Perot interferometry, we study the orbital characteristics of the interactingpair of galaxies KPG 302 with the aim to estimate a possible interaction history, the conditions necessary for the spiral arm formation, and initial satellite mass. We found by performing N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations of the interaction that a single passage can produce a grand design spiral pattern in less than 1 Gyr. Although we reproduce most of the features with the single passage, the required satellite to host mass ratio should be ∼1:5, which is not confirmed by the dynamical mass estimate made from the measured rotation curve. We conclude that a more realistic interaction scenario would require several passages in order to explain the mass ratio discrepancy.

Introducing the generalized, non-extensive statistics proposed by Tsallis (J. Stat. Phys. 52 (1/2) (1988) 479) into the standard s-wave pairing BCS theory of superconductivity in 2D yields a reasonable description of many of the main properties of high temperature superconductors, provided some allowance is made for non-phonon mediated interactions.

The recent discovery of superconductivity under high pressure in the two-leg ladder compound BaFe2S3 [H. Takahashi et al., Nat. Mater. 14, 1008 (2015), 10.1038/nmat4351] opens a broad avenue of research, because it represents the first report of pairing tendencies in a quasi-one-dimensional iron-based high-critical-temperature superconductor. Similarly, as in the case of the cuprates, ladders and chains can be far more accurately studied using many-body techniques and model Hamiltonians than their layered counterparts, particularly if several orbitals are active. In this publication, we derive a two-orbital Hubbard model from first principles that describes individual ladders of BaFe2S3 . The model is studied with the density matrix renormalization group. These first reported results are exciting for two reasons: (i) at half-filling, ferromagnetic order emerges as the dominant magnetic pattern along the rungs of the ladder, and antiferromagnetic order along the legs, in excellent agreement with neutron experiments; and (ii) with hole doping, pairs form in the strong coupling regime, as found by studying the binding energy of two holes doped on the half-filled system. In addition, orbital selective Mott phase characteristics develop with doping, with only one Wannier orbital receiving the hole carriers while the other remains half-filled. These results suggest that the analysis of models for iron-based two-leg ladders could clarify the origin of pairing tendencies and other exotic properties of iron-based high-critical-temperature superconductors in general.

As part of a program to study odd-A nuclei in the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB) theory, we have developed a new calculational tool to find the HFB minima of odd-A nuclei based on the gradient method and using interactions of Gogny's form. The HFB minimization includes both time-even and time-odd fields in the energy functional, avoiding the commonly used “filling approximation”. Here we apply the method to calculate neutron pairing gaps in some representative isotope chains of spherical and deformed nuclei, namely the Z=8,50, and 82 spherical chains and the Z=62 and 92 deformed chains. We find that the gradient method is quite robust, permitting us to carry out systematic surveys involving many nuclei. We find that the time-odd field does not have large effect on the pairing gaps calculated with the Gogny D1S interaction. Typically, adding the T-odd field as a perturbation increases the pairing gap by 100 keV, but the re-minimization brings the gap back down. This outcome is very similar to results reported for the Skyrme family of nuclear energy density functionals. Comparing the calculated gaps with the experimental ones, we find that the theoretical errors have both signs implying that the D1S interaction has a reasonable overall strength. However, we find some systematic deficiencies comparing spherical and deformed chains and comparing the lighter chains with the heavier ones. The gaps for heavy spherical nuclei are too high, while those for deformed nuclei tend to be too low. The calculated gaps of spherical nuclei show hardly any A dependence, contrary to the data. Inclusion of the T-odd component of the interaction does not change these qualitative findings.

Recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements of Co-doped LiFeAs report a large and robust superconducting gap on the Γ -centered hole band that lies 8 meV below the Fermi level. We show that, unlike a conventional superconductor described by BCS theory, a multiband system with strong interband Coulomb interactions can explain these observations. We model LiFeAs with a five-band model in which the shallow hole band is coupled with the other bands by only Coulomb interactions. Using Eliashberg theory, we find reasonable interaction parameters that reproduce the Tc and all five gaps of LiFeAs. The energy independence of the Coulomb interactions then ensures the robustness of the gap induced on the shallow band. Furthermore, due to the repulsive nature of the Coulomb interactions, the gap changes sign between the shallow band and the other hole pockets, corresponding to an unconventional s± gap symmetry. Unlike other families of iron-based superconductors, the gap symmetry of LiFeAs has not been ascertained experimentally. The experimental implications of this sign-changing state are discussed.

Herein we report on the catalytic polymerization of diverse Michael-type monomers with high precision by using simple but highly active combinations of phosphorus-containing Lewis bases and organoaluminum compounds. The interacting Lewis pair catalysts enable the control of molecular weight and microstructure of the produced polymers. The reactions show a linear Mn vs consumption plot thus proving a living type polymerization. The initiation has been investigated by end-group analysis with ESI mass spectrometric analysis. With these main-group element Lewis acid base pairs, it is not only possible to polymerize sterically demanding, functionalized as well as heteroatom containing monomers but also, for the first time, to catalytically polymerize extended Michael systems, like 4-vinylpyridine. PMID:27254134

Lone-pair-π (lp-π) interactions have been suggested to stabilize DNA and protein structures, and to participate in the formation of DNA-protein complexes. To elucidate their physical origin, we have carried out a theoretical multi-approach analysis of two biologically relevant model systems, water-indole and water-uracil complexes, which we compared with the structurally similar chloride-tetracyanobenzene (TCB) complex previously shown to contain a strong charge-transfer (CT) binding component. We demonstrate that the CT component in lp-π interactions between water and indole/uracil is significantly smaller than that stabilizing the Cl(-)-TCB reference system. The strong lp(Cl(-))-π(TCB) orbital interaction is characterized by a small energy gap and an efficient lp-π* overlap. In contrast, in lp-π interactions between water and indole or uracil, the corresponding energy gap is larger and the overlap less efficient. As a result, water-uracil and water-indole interactions are weak forces composed by smaller contributions from all energy components: electrostatics, polarization, dispersion, and charge transfer. In addition, indole exhibits a negative electrostatic potential at its π-face, making lp-π interactions less favorable than O-Hπ hydrogen bonding. Consequently, some of the water-tryptophan contacts observed in X-ray structures of proteins and previously interpreted as lp-π interactions [Luisi, et al., Proteins, 2004, 57, 1-8], might in fact arise from O-Hπ hydrogen bonding. PMID:27411074

Background Interaction of proteins with other molecules plays an important role in many biological activities. As many structures of protein-DNA complexes and protein-RNA complexes have been determined in the past years, several databases have been constructed to provide structure data of the complexes. However, the information on the binding sites between proteins and nucleic acids is not readily available from the structure data since the data consists mostly of the three-dimensional coordinates of the atoms in the complexes. Results We analyzed the huge amount of structure data for the hydrogen bonding interactions between proteins and nucleic acids and developed a database called DBBP (DataBase of Binding Pairs in protein-nucleic acid interactions, http://bclab.inha.ac.kr/dbbp). DBBP contains 44,955 hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) of protein-DNA interactions and 77,947 H-bonds of protein-RNA interactions. Conclusions Analysis of the huge amount of structure data of protein-nucleic acid complexes is labor-intensive, yet provides useful information for studying protein-nucleic acid interactions. DBBP provides the detailed information of hydrogen-bonding interactions between proteins and nucleic acids at various levels from the atomic level to the residue level. The binding information can be used as a valuable resource for developing a computational method aiming at predicting new binding sites in proteins or nucleic acids. PMID:25474259

Following an explosion of studies of silicon as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries, the anomalous volumetric changes and fracture of lithiated single Si particles have attracted significant attention in various fields, including mechanics. However, in real batteries, lithiation occurs simultaneously in clusters of Si in a confined medium. Hence, understanding how the individual Si structures interact during lithiation in a closed space is necessary. Here, we demonstrate physical and mechanical interactions of swelling Si structures during lithiation using well-defined Si nanopillar pairs. Ex situ SEM and in situ TEM studies reveal that compressive stresses change the reaction kinetics so that preferential lithiation occurs at free surfaces when the pillars are mechanically clamped. Such mechanical interactions enhance the fracture resistance of lithiated Si by lessening the tensile stress concentrations in Si structures. Lastly, this study will contribute to improved design of Si structures at the electrode level for high-performance Li-ion batteries.

The general formalism of the multipolar expansion of electrostatic interactions is applied to the calculation of the potential energy between an excited atom (without fine structure) and a ground-state diatomic molecule at large mutual separations. Both partners exhibit a permanent quadrupole moment so that their mutual long-range interaction is dominated by a quadrupole-quadrupole term, which is attractive enough to bind trimers. Numerical results are given for an excited Cs(6{sup 2}P) atom and a ground-state Cs{sub 2} molecule. The prospects for achieving photoassociation of a cold-atom-dimer pair are thus discussed and found promising. The formalism can be generalized to the long-range interaction between molecules to investigate the formation of cold tetramers.

Stacking interactions between aromatic molecules (benzene, p-cymene, biphenyl, and di- and tetra-hydrogen anthracene) and G.C and A.T canonical Watson-Crick (WC) base pairs are explored. Two functionals with dispersion corrections: ω-B97XD and B3LYP-D3 are used. For a comparison also the MP2 and B3LYP-D3/PCM methods were used for the most stable p-cymene…WC geometries. It was found that the stacking interaction increases with the size of π-conjugation system. Its extent is in agreement with experimental finding on anticancer activity of Ru(II) piano-stool complexes where intercalation of these aromatic molecules should play an important role. The explored structures are considered as ternary system so that decomposition of the interaction energy to pairwise and non-additivity contributions is also examined.

Following an explosion of studies of silicon as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries, the anomalous volumetric changes and fracture of lithiated single Si particles have attracted significant attention in various fields, including mechanics. However, in real batteries, lithiation occurs simultaneously in clusters of Si in a confined medium. Hence, understanding how the individual Si structures interact during lithiation in a closed space is necessary. Here, we demonstrate physical and mechanical interactions of swelling Si structures during lithiation using well-defined Si nanopillar pairs. Ex situ SEM and in situ TEM studies reveal that compressive stresses change the reaction kinetics so that preferential lithiation occurs at free surfaces when the pillars are mechanically clamped. Such mechanical interactions enhance the fracture resistance of lithiated Si by lessening the tensile stress concentrations in Si structures. This study will contribute to improved design of Si structures at the electrode level for high-performance Li-ion batteries. PMID:26112834

Li-intercalated layered nitrides LixZrNCl are novel superconductors, in which superconductivity emerges at relatively high transition temperature Tc˜12 - 15 K with very low carrier density ˜10^21 cm-3. The pristine β-ZrNCl is a simple band insulator, and electron doping is achieved by Li intercalation. Insulator-to-superconductor (IS) transition takes place at x˜0.05 with maximum Tc value of ˜15 K and Tc decreases with further doping, which is opposite trend to the other superconductors in doped band insulators. Here we show the results of magnetic susceptibility measurements on LixZrNCl with systematically controlled x. Estimated spin susceptibility χs is almost temperature-independent without substantial anisotropy. With decreasing x, χs evolves strongly, same as Tc. On the other hand, specific heat study revealed that the density of states is reduced but the pairinginteraction is enhanced on the verge of IS transition. Therefore, our results may indicate that magnetic fluctuations are enhanced toward a band-insulator and that they are possibly responsible to superconductivity even in the present small carrier-density system.

Lone pair-π interaction is an important but less studied binding force. Generally, it is too weak to influence the physical properties of supramolecular systems. Herein we reported the first example exhibiting the impact of lone pair-π interactions on photochromic properties of naphthalene diimide based coordination networks. In three isostructural 1-D networks, [(DPNDI)ZnX2] (DPNDI = N,N-di(4-pyridyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide, X = Cl for 1, X = Br for 2 and X = I for 3), they exhibit different electron-transfer photochromic behaviors due to different lone pair-π interactions between the capped halogen atoms and electron-deficient DPNDI moieties. Specifically, 1 and 2 but not 3 are photochromic, which is attributed to a stronger lone pair-π interaction in 3 than those in 1 and 2. This study anticipates breaking a new path for designing novel photochromic materials through such unnoticeable supramolecular interactions. PMID:26388114

This talk will reprise a personal journey by the speaker in industrial and applied physics, commencing with his employment by IBM at age 17 in the early 1950s, and continuing through his corporate sponsored undergraduate and graduate years at Clarkson and Harvard Universities, resulting in 1965 in a doctorate in applied physics from the latter. He was subsequently assigned by IBM to its research division in San Jose (now Almaden), where he initially carried out both pure and applied theoretical and experimental investigations encompassing a broad range of company-related product technologies...storage, display, printer and data acquisition hardware and software. In 1973, he undertook performing DFT and quantum Monte Carlo calculations in support of group research in the then emerging field of organic and polymer superconductors, a very esoteric pursuit at the time. Following upon several corporate staff assignments involving various product development and sales strategies, in 1982 he was appointed manager of the cooperative phenomena group in the Almaden Research Center, which beginning in early 1987, made significant contributions to both the basic science and applications of high temperature superconductivity (HTSC). In 1993, after a 40-year career, he retired from IBM to accept a Science Fellow position at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) where he funded power application development of superconductivity. In 2004, he retired from his EPRI career to undertake ``due diligence'' consulting services in support of the venture capital community in Silicon Valley. As a ``hobby,'' he currently pursues and publishes DFT studies in hope of discovering the pairing mechanism of HTSC. In summary, the speaker's career in industrial and applied physics demonstrates one can combine publishing a record three PRLs in one month with crawling around underground in substations with utility lineman helping install superconducting cables, along the way publishing 10

At laser intensities above 10{sup 23} W/cm{sup 2}, the interaction of a laser with a plasma is qualitatively different to the interactions at lower intensities. In this intensity regime, solid targets start to become relativistically underdense, gamma-ray production by synchrotron emission starts to become an important feature of the dynamics and, at even higher intensities, electron-positron pair production by the non-linear Breit-Wheeler process starts to occur. In this paper, an analysis is presented of the effects of target density, laser intensity, target preplasma properties, and other parameters on the conversion efficiency, spectrum, and angular distribution of gamma-rays by synchrotron emission. An analysis of the importance of Breit-Wheeler pair production is also presented. Target electron densities between 10{sup 22} cm{sup −3} and 5 × 10{sup 24} cm{sup −3} and laser intensities covering the range between 10{sup 21} W/cm{sup 2} (available with current generation laser facilities) and 10{sup 24} W/cm{sup 2} (upper intensity range expected from the ELI facility are considered. Results are explained in terms of the behaviour of the head of the laser pulse as it interacts with the target.

The remarkable robustness of high-temperature superconductors against disorder remains a controversial obstacle towards the elucidation of their pairing state. Indeed, experiments report a weak suppression rate of the transition temperature Tc with disorder, significantly smaller than the universal value predicted by extensions of the conventional theory of dirty superconductors. However, in many high-Tc compounds, superconductivity appears near a putative magnetic quantum critical point, suggesting that quantum fluctuations, which suppress coherent electronic spectral weight, may also promote unconventional pairing. Here we investigate theoretically the impact of disorder on such a quantum critical pairing state, considering the coupling of impurities both to the low-energy electronic states and to the pairinginteraction itself. We find a significant reduction in the suppression rate of Tc with disorder near the magnetic quantum critical point, shedding new light on the nature of unconventional superconductivity in correlated materials.

Fermilab has developed a third harmonic superconducting cavity operating at the frequency of 3.9 GHz to improve the beam performance for the FLASH user facility at DESY. It is interesting to investigate the coupling interaction between the SRF cavity and the power coupler with or without beam loading. The coupling of the power coupler to the cavity needs to be determined to minimize the power consumption and guarantee the best performance for a given beam current. In this paper, we build and analyze an equivalent circuit model containing a series of lumped elements to represent the resonant system. An analytic solution of the required power from the generator as a function of the system parameters has also been given based on a vector diagram.

Modeling signal transduction in cancer cells has implications for targeting new therapies and inferring the mechanisms that improve or threaten a patient’s treatment response. For transcriptome-wide studies, it has been proposed that simple correlation between a ligand and receptor pair implies a relationship to the disease process. Statistically, a differential correlation (DC) analysis across groups stratified by prognosis can link the pair to clinical outcomes. While the prognostic effect and the apparent change in correlation are both biological consequences of activation of the signaling mechanism, a correlation-driven analysis does not clearly capture this assumption and makes inefficient use of continuous survival phenotypes. To augment the correlation hypothesis, we propose that a regression framework assuming a patient-specific, latent level of signaling activation exists and generates both prognosis and correlation. Data from these systems can be inferred via interaction terms in survival regression models allowing signal transduction models beyond one pair at a time and adjusting for other factors. We illustrate the use of this model on ovarian cancer data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and discuss how the finding may be used to develop markers to guide targeted molecular therapies. PMID:25657571

A new mechanism for pair production from the interaction of a laser with two nuclei is presented. The latter takes advantage of the Stark effect in diatomic molecules and the presence of molecular resonances in the negative and positive energy continua. Both move in the complex energy plane as the interatomic distance and the electric field strength are varied. We demonstrate that there is an enhancement of pair production at the crossing of these resonances. This mechanism is studied in a very simple one-dimensional model where the nuclei are modelled by delta function potential wells and the laser by a constant electric field. The position of resonances is evaluated by using the Weyl-Titchmarch-Kodaira theory, which allows to treat singular boundary value problems and to compute the spectral density. The rate of producing pairs is also computed. It is shown that this process yields a positron production rate which is approximately an order of magnitude higher than in the single nucleus case and a few orders of magnitudes higher than Schwinger's tunnelling result in a static field.

We have measured quasiparticle tunneling across a junction perpendicular to the superconducting copper oxide planes. The tunneling spectra show peaks in the density of states. There are 11 minima in the second derivative d2I/dV2, where I is the current and V the voltage, suggesting multiple boson-quasiparticle interactions. These minima match precisely with the published Raman scattering data, leading us to conclude that the relevant bosons in superconducting La1.84Sr0.16CuO4 films are phonons. PMID:19113657

1-Butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([BMP]{sup +}[TFSI]{sup −}) ion pairs were studied using DFT at the B3LYP/6-31 + G(d) level. Nine locally stable conformations of the ion pair were located. In the most stable conformation, [TFSI]{sup −} takes a cis conformation and lies below the pyrrolidinium ring. Atoms-in-molecules (AIM) and electron density analysis indicated the existence of nine hydrogen bonds. Interaction energies were recalculated at the Second-order Møller–Plesset (MP2) level to show the importance of dispersion interaction. Further investigation through natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis provided insight into the importance of charge transfer interactions in the ion pair. Harmonic vibrations of the ion pair were calculated and compared with vibrations of the free ions as well as the experimental infrared spectrum. Assignments and frequency shifts are discussed in light of the inter-ionic interactions.

Mid-infrared (MIR) imaging and spectroscopic observations are presented for a well defined sample of eight closely interacting (CLO) pairs of spiral galaxies that have overlapping disks and show enhanced far-infrared (FIR) emission.

Infrared spectroscopy is used to observe the orientational fine structure arising from ortho-H2 adsorbed at the primary site of the microporous framework MOF-5. The Q1(1 ) vibrational transition shows at least two symmetrically spaced fine structure bands on either side of the main band. These grow in relative intensity with increasing H2 concentration indicative of interacting H2 pairs. This interpretation is strongly supported by D2 addition experiments, which cause a large increase in intensity of the fine structure bands with only minimal change in the main band. The spectra are analyzed in terms of H2-H2 electric quadrupole-quadrupole interactions. Consistent with this approach we observe no fine structure bands for the Q1(0 ) vibrational transition arising from para-H2, which does not possess a quadrupole moment.

Chemists have always been interested in labeling the interactions between the molecules, i.e. from covalent to ionic bond or van der Waals force. Certainly the most important non-covalent bond is the hydrogen bond, also of fundamental importance in biology. More recently also weak Hbond, sometimes in competion with halogen bonding, have been investigated because they have assumed a fundamental importance. Here, we show the lone pairs - π interaction prevails on the latter ones. We measured the molecular beam Fourier transform microwave spectra of five isotopologues of the 1:1 adduct of chlorotrifluoroethylene with water. Besides the rotational constants, the quadrupole coupling constants of the chlorine atom have been determined. Quantum chemistry calculations, at the MP2/6-311++G(d,p) level, have been carried out in order to obtain information about the structure and relative stability of the conformers under study.

Private nonhuman animal sanctuaries are often financially limited in their ability to implement traditional environmental enrichment strategies. One possible solution may be to provide socialized animals with human interaction sessions. However, the merit of human interaction as enrichment has received little empirical attention to date. The present study aimed to evaluate whether human interaction could be enriching for socialized, pair-housed wolves and wolf-dog crosses at a private sanctuary. Observations of each subject were conducted in a reversal design to measure species-typical affiliation, activity levels, and aberrant behaviors when caretakers were both present and absent. The results demonstrate significantly higher levels of conspecific-directed affiliation and activity levels and reduced aberrant behavior when human interaction was available. Social play also increased when caregivers were present, supporting the hypothesis that play among conspecifics may be maintained by positive changes in an animal's environment. The potential for human interaction to be established as a scientifically validated, cost-effective enrichment strategy is supported by these findings. PMID:24484310

The homologous pairing protein 2 (Hop2) plays an important role in meiosis and DNA repair. Together with protein Mnd1, Hop2 enhances the strand invasion activity of recombinase Dmc1 by over 30 times, facilitating proper synapsis of homologous chromosomes. We recently determined the NMR structure of the N-terminal domain of Hop2 and proposed a model of Protein-DNA complex based on NMR chemical shift perturbations and mutagenesis studies (Moktan, J Biol Chem 2014 10.1074/jbc.M114.548180). However structure and dynamics of the complex have not been studied at the atomic level yet. Here, we used classical MD simulations to study the interactions between the N-terminal HOP2 and DNA. The simulated results indicate that helix3 (H3) interacts with DNA in major groove and wing1 (W1) interacts mostly in minor groove mainly via direct hydrogen bonds. Also it is found that binding leads to reduced fluctuations in both protein and DNA. Several water bridge interactions have been identified. The residue-wise contributions to the interaction energy were evaluated. Also the functional motion of the protein is analyzed using principal component analysis. The results confirmed the importance of H3 and W1 for the stability of the complex, which is consistent with our previous experimental studies.

Fluctuations within the ligand shell of a nanoparticle give rise to a significant degree of anisotropy in effective pairinteractions for low grafting densities [B. Bozorgui, D. Meng, S. K. Kumar, C. Chakravarty, and A. Cacciuto, Nano Lett. 13, 2732 (2013)]. Here, we examine the corresponding fluctuation-driven anisotropy for gold nanocrystals densely passivated with short ligands. In particular, we consider gold nanocrystals capped by alkylthiols, both in vacuum and in ethane solvent at high density. As in the preceding study, we show that the anisotropy in the nanoparticle pair potential can be quantified by an angle-dependent correction term to the isotropic potential of mean force (PMF). We find that the anisotropy of the ligand shells is distance dependent, and strongly influenced by ligand interdigitation effects as well as expulsion of ligand chains from the interparticle region at short distances. Such fluctuation-driven anisotropy can be significant for alkylthiol-coated gold nanoparticles, specially for longer chain lengths, under good solvent conditions. The consequences of such anisotropy for self-assembly, specially as a function of grafting density, solvent quality and at interfaces, should provide some interesting insights in future work. Our results clearly show that an isotropic two-body PMF cannot adequately describe the thermodynamics and assembly behavior of nanoparticles in this dense grafting regime and inclusion of anisotropic effects, as well as possibly many-body interactions, is necessary. Extensions of this approach to other passivated nanoparticle systems and implications for self-assembly are considered.

We present Hα observations of the isolated interacting galaxy pair NGC 5426/27 using the scanning Fabry-Perot interferometer PUMA. The velocity field, various kinematical parameters and rotation curve for each galaxy were derived. The FWHM map and the residual velocities map were also computed to study the role of non-circular motions of the gas. Most of these motions can be associated with the presence of spiral arms and structure such as central bars. We found a small bar-like structure in NGC 5426, a distorted velocity field for NGC 5427 and a bridge-like feature between both galaxies which seems to be associated with NGC 5426. Using the observed rotation curves, a range of possible masses was computed for each galaxy. These were compared with the orbital mass of the pair derived from the relative motion of the participants. The rotation curve of each galaxy was also used to fit different mass distribution models considering the most common theoretical dark halo models. An analysis of the interaction process is presented and a possible 3D scenario for this encounter is also suggested. Table 1 is only available in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org

The transit time of carriers is beginning to be an important parameter in the physical operation of semiconductor quantum dot `devices'. In the present work, we study the coherent propagation of electron-hole pairs in coupled self-assembled quantum dots in close proximity. These systems, achieved experimentally in a number of different geometries, have been recently implemented as a novel storage of optical information that may give rise to smart pixel technology in the near future [1]. Here, we apply an effective mass hamiltonian approach and solve numerically the time dependent Schroedinger equation of a system of photo-created electron-hole pairs in the dots. Our approach takes into account both Coulomb interactions and confinement effects. The time evolution is investigated in terms of the structural parameters for typical InAs-GaAs dots. Different initial conditions are considered, reflecting the basic processes that would take place in these experiments. We study the probabilities of finding the electron and hole in either the same or adjacent quantum dot, and study carefully the role of interactions in this behavior. [1] T. Lundstrom, W. Schoenfeld, H. Lee, and P. M. Petroff, Science 286, 2312 (1999).

The deformation and interaction of a droplet pair in an electric field determine the success of droplet coalescence. Electric intensity and initial droplet separation are crucial parameters in this process. In this work, a combined theoretical and numerical analysis is performed to study the electrohydrodynamics of confined droplet pairs in a rectangular microchannel under ac electric fields. We develop a theoretical model to predict the relationship between critical electric intensity and droplet separation. A geometrical model relating the initial droplet separation to the cone angle is also established to determine the critical separation for partial coalescence. These models are validated by comparisons with existing experimental observations. According to the initial separation and electric intensity, five regimes of droplet interactions are classified by direct numerical simulations, namely noncoalescence, coalescence, partial coalescence, ejection after coalescence, and ejection with partial coalescence. According to their controlling mechanisms, the five regimes are distinguished by three well-defined boundaries. The detailed dynamics of the partial coalescence phenomenon is resolved when the droplet separation exceeds the critical value. A dynamic liquid bridge between the droplets is sustained by the competition between surface tension and electric stress. The dynamics of ejected microjets at the exterior ends are also addressed to show their responses to the oscillating electric field. The full understanding of the droplet dynamics under electric fields can be used to predict the droplet fusion behaviors and thus to facilitate the design of droplet-based microfluidic devices.

Josephson junctions with a ferromagnetic metal weak link reveal a very strong decrease of the critical current compared to a normal metal weak link. We demonstrate that in the ballistic regime the presence of a small region with a non-collinear magnetization near the center of a ferromagnetic weak link restores the critical current inherent to the normal metal. The above effect can be stimulated by additional electrical bias of the magnetic gate which induces a local electron depletion of ferromagnetic barrier. The underlying physics of the effect is the interference phenomena due to the magnetic scattering of the Cooper pair, which reverses its total momentum in the ferromagnet and thus compensates the phase gain before and after the spin–reversed scattering. In contrast with the widely discussed triplet long ranged proximity effect we elucidate a new singlet long ranged proximity effect. This phenomenon opens a way to easily control the properties of SFS junctions and inversely to manipulate the magnetic moment via the Josephson current. PMID:25011929

We present a search for the pair production of a narrow nonstandard-model strongly interacting particle that decays to a pair of quarks or gluons, leading to a final state with four hadronic jets. We consider both nonresonant production via an intermediate gluon as well as resonant production via a distinct nonstandard-model intermediate strongly interacting particle. We use data collected by the CDF experiment in proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.6 fb⁻¹. We find the data to be consistent with nonresonant production. We report limits on σ(pp̄→jjjj) as a function of the masses of themore » hypothetical intermediate particles. Upper limits on the production cross sections for nonstandard-model particles in several resonant and nonresonant processes are also derived.« less

We present a search for the pair production of a narrow nonstandard-model strongly interacting particle that decays to a pair of quarks or gluons, leading to a final state with four hadronic jets. We consider both nonresonant production via an intermediate gluon as well as resonant production via a distinct nonstandard-model intermediate strongly interacting particle. We use data collected by the CDF experiment in proton-antiproton collisions at √s=1.96 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.6 fb⁻¹. We find the data to be consistent with nonresonant production. We report limits on σ(pp̄→jjjj) as a function of the masses of the hypothetical intermediate particles. Upper limits on the production cross sections for nonstandard-model particles in several resonant and nonresonant processes are also derived.

We present a search for the pair production of a narrow nonstandard-model strongly interacting particle that decays to a pair of quarks or gluons, leading to a final state with four hadronic jets. We consider both nonresonant production via an intermediate gluon as well as resonant production via a distinct nonstandard-model intermediate strongly interacting particle. We use data collected by the CDF experiment in proton-antiproton collisions at √[s]=1.96 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 6.6 fb(-1). We find the data to be consistent with nonresonant production. We report limits on σ(pp[over ¯]→jjjj) as a function of the masses of the hypothetical intermediate particles. Upper limits on the production cross sections for nonstandard-model particles in several resonant and nonresonant processes are also derived. PMID:23909308

The bare nucleon-nucleon interaction is essential for the production of pair correlations in nuclei, but an important contribution also arises from the induced interaction resulting from the exchange of collective vibrations between nucleons moving in time reversal states close to the Fermi energy. The pairing field resulting from the summed interaction is strongly peaked at the nuclear surface. It is possible to reproduce the detailed spatial dependence of this field by using either a local approximation, which fully takes into account finite size effects, or a contact interaction, with parameters that are quite different from those commonly used in more phenomenological approaches.

Systems of particles with interactions given by the Jagla core-softened pair potential are known to exhibit water-like thermodynamic anomalies and a liquid-liquid phase transition. The drawback of the Jagla potential is that it is characterized by discontinuous forces acting between particles and thus is not suitable for standard molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Here we introduce a smooth version of the Jagla potential based on two Fermi distributions and study the properties of a system of particles interacting via this new "Fermi-Jagla" pair potential by using standard MD simulations. We find that the liquid based on the Fermi-Jagla potential retains most of the properties of the liquid based on the original Jagla potential. Namely, it exhibits the following water-like anomalies: (i) decrease of density, (ii) increase of compressibility, κ(T)(T,P), and (iii) increase of isobaric specific heat, C(P)(T,P), upon isobaric cooling, and (iv) increase of diffusivity upon isothermal compression. The Fermi-Jagla potential also exhibits (i') density minima, (ii') compressibility minima, (iii') isobaric specific heat minima upon isobaric cooling, and (iv') diffusivity minima upon isothermal compression. As in the Jagla model case, we find a liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) and a liquid-liquid critical point in the equilibrium liquid. Contrary to the case of the original Jagla model liquid, the LLPT line for the Fermi-Jagla potential has a negative slope in the P-T plane that extends well above the crystallization temperature. This feature makes the Fermi-Jagla potential a better candidate to reproduce the behavior of tetrahedral liquids including water, for which the LLPT line observed in simulations has also negative slope. In the glass state, the Fermi-Jagla pair potential results in reversible polyamorphism between low- and high-density amorphous solids (LDA and HDA, respectively). We also find that HDA results from pressure-induced amorphization of the model

High-throughput methods such as co-immunoprecipitationmass spectrometry (coIP-MS) and yeast 2 hybridization (Y2H) have suggested a broad range of unannotated protein-protein interactions (PPIs), and interpretation of these PPIs remains a challenging task. The advancements in cancer genomic researches allow for the inference of "coactivation pairs" in cancer, which may facilitate the identification of PPIs involved in cancer. Here we present OncoBinder as a tool for the assessment of proteomic interaction data based on the functional synergy of oncoproteins in cancer. This decision tree-based method combines gene mutation, copy number and mRNA expression information to infer the functional status of protein-coding genes. We applied OncoBinder to evaluate the potential binders of EGFR and ERK2 proteins based on the gastric cancer dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). As a result, OncoBinder identified high confidence interactions (annotated by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) or validated by low-throughput assays) more efficiently than co-expression based method. Taken together, our results suggest that evaluation of gene functional synergy in cancer may facilitate the interpretation of proteomic interaction data. The OncoBinder toolbox for Matlab is freely accessible online. PMID:26872056

We develop and test an automated technique to model the dynamics of interacting galaxy pairs. We use Identikit (Barnes & Hibbard 2009; Barnes 2011) as a tool for modeling and matching the morphology and kinematics of the interactingpairs of similar-size galaxies. In order to reduce the effect of subjective human interference, we automate the selection of phase-space regions used to match simulations to data, and we explore how selection of these regions affects the random uncertainties of parameters in the best-fit model. In this work, we used an independent set of GADGET SPH simulations as input data, so we determined the systematic bias in the measured encounter parameters based on the known initial conditions of these simulations. We tested both cold gas and young stellar components in the GADGET simulations to explore the effect of choosing HI vs. Hα as the line of sight velocity tracer. We found that we can group the results into tests with good, fair, and poor convergence based on the distribution of parameters of models close enough to the best-fit model. For tests with good and fair convergence, we ruled out large fractions of parameter space and recovered merger stage, eccentricity, viewing angle, and pericentric distance within 2σ of the correct value. All of tests on gaseous component of prograde systems had either good or fair convergence. Retrograde systems and most of tests on young stars had poor convergence and may require constraints from regions other than the tidal tails. In this work we also present WIYN SparsePak IFU data for a few interacting galaxies, and we show the result of applying our method on this data set.

This paper is devoted to the application of the pair torque interaction potential for the simulation of the elastic behavior of a promising two-dimensional material: single layer molybdenium disulphide (SLMoS2). It is demonstrated that both Mo-Mo and S-S interactions can be regarded as pair force interactions with sufficient accuracy. Using both experimental and calculated numerically elastic moduli, and also the phonon spectrum available in the literature, the parameters of the Morse potential are determined for Mo-Mo and S-S bonds, and the parameters of the pair torque potential are obtained for the Mo-S bond. As a result, a combination of force and torque pair potentials is proposed, which allows for the correct modelling of SLMoS2 mechanical behavior.

Protonated amino groups are ubiquitous in nature and important in the fields of chemistry and biology. In search of efficient polyamine analogues, we have performed DFT calculations on the interactions of some simple cyclic and constrained protonated diamines with the DNA base pairs and compared the results with those obtained for the corresponding interactions involving linear diamines, which mimic biogenic polyamines such as spermine. The interactions are mainly governed by the strong hydrogen bonding between the ligand and the DNA base pairs. The DFT calculations suggest that the major-groove N7 interaction (GC base pair) with linear diamine is energetically more favored than other possible interactions, as reported with spermine. The cyclic diamines exhibited better interactions with the N7 site of the AT and GC base pairs of DNA than the linear diamines. The net atomic charges calculated for the protonated amine hydrogens were higher for the cyclic systems than for the linear diamines, inducing better binding affinity with the DNA base pairs. The stable conformers of cyclic diamines were predicted using the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ level of theory. The positions of the protonated diamine groups in these cyclic systems are crucial for effective binding with the DNA base pairs. The DFT-calculated results show that diequatorial (ee) 1,2-cyclohexadiamine (CHDA) is a promising candidate as a polyamine analogue for biogenic polyamines. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed using explicit water molecules for the interaction of representative ligands with the DNA base pairs to examine the influence of solvent molecules on such interactions. PMID:23909683

We analyze the pattern of binding energies (BEs) of small Aun clusters (n = 1-7, 11) with lone-pair ligands (L = H2O, SH2, NH3, PH3, PF3, PCl3, and PMe3) employing the density functional theory. We use PBE0 functional with the dispersion correction and scalar relativistic effective core potential. This approach provides correct BEs when compared with benchmark CCSD(T) calculations for Au-L and Au2-L complexes. The pattern of BEs of Aun-L complexes is irregular with BE for Au3 ≈ Au4 > Au2 > Au7 > Au5 > Au11 > Au6 > Au1. Electron affinities (EAs) of Aun clusters exhibit oscillatory pattern with the cluster size. Binding energies of Aun-L complexes are oscillatory as well following EAs of Aun clusters. BEs of odd and even Aun-L complexes were analyzed separately. The bonding mechanism in odd Aun-L complexes is dominated by the lone pair → metal electron donation to the singly occupied valence Aun orbital accompanied by the back-donation. Even Aun clusters create covalent Aun-L bonds with BEs higher than those in odd Aun-L complexes. The BEs pattern and optimized geometries of Aun-L complexes correspond to the picture of creating the gold-ligand bond through the lone pair of a ligand interacting with the singly occupied molecular orbital in odd clusters or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital in even clusters of Aun. Ligands in both odd and even Aun-L complexes form three groups with binding energies that correlate with their ionization energies. The lowest BE is calculated for H2O as a ligand, followed by SH2 and NH3. PX3 ligands exhibit highest BEs. PMID:27187633

In the traditional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and -k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. Here we report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. In contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin-fluctuation pairinginteraction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability. PMID:27312569

In the traditional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and -k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. Here we report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. In contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin-fluctuation pairinginteraction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability.

Successive interaction of different pairs of water-soluble polymers (poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)), proteins (bovine serum albumin (BSA), ovalbumin, gelatin, and ossein), and smaller organics such as lecithin (1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine, SOPC) and Aethonium (1,2-ethylene-bis(N-dimethyl carbodecyl oxymethyl) ammonium dichloride) with nanosilicas A-300 (S(BET)=232 and 297 m(2) g(-1)) and A-50 (S(BET)=52 m(2)g(-1)) was studied using dynamic light scattering, adsorption, and infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy methods. Time-dependent rearrangement of particle size distributions (PSDs) depicts appearance of both smaller and larger aggregates for silica/PEG(I-first adsorbate)/BSA(II-second adsorbate) and silica/PVP(I)/BSA(II) (i.e., BSA adsorbs onto PEG/silica or PVP/silica) than that for silica/organic compound I. However, in the cases of PVA(I)-BSA(II) and PVA(I)-SOPC(II) a similar effect is not observed because only increased aggregation occurs. The successive equilibrium adsorption of similar pairs shows a diminution of the adsorption of the second compound (gelatin, ovalbumin) with increasing amount of the first adsorbed polymer (PEG or PVP). PMID:16643935

The cardiac neural crest migrate from rostral dorsal neural folds and populate the branchial arches, which directly contribute to cardiac-outflow structures. Although neural crest cell specification is associated with a number of morphogenic factors, little is understood about the mechanisms by which transcription factors actually implement the transcriptional programs that dictate cell migration and later the differentiation into the proper cell types within the heart. It is clear from genetic evidence that members of the paired box family and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors from the twist family of proteins are expressed in and play an important function in cardiac neural crest specification and differentiation. Interestingly, both paired box and bHLH factors can function as dimers and in the case of twist family bHLH factors partner choice can clearly dictate a change in transcriptional program. The focus of this review is to consider the role that the protein-protein interactions of these transcription factors may play determining cardiac neural crest specification and differentiation and how genetic alteration of transcription factor stoichiometry within the cell may reflect more than a simple null event. PMID:15269889

We discover a topological phase transition between conventional s+- and s++ superconducting phases by tuning the ratio of electron--electron and electron--phonon coupling constants in an FeAs-type two-band structure. Proving the existence of this unexpected quantum criticality within the mean-field theory, we propose that the quantum critical point be identified with a critical spin liquid state of an ``extended'' Dirac spectrum, where critical superconducting fluctuations cause screening of charge degrees of freedom for electronic excitations, which allows spinon excitations to carry only the spin quantum number 1/2. The emergence of the critical spin liquid state at the s+--s++ superconducting quantum critical point leads us to predict a metal--insulator--metal crossover behavior in electrical resistivity above the superconducting transition temperatures as the ratio of the electron--electron and electron--phonon coupling constants is increased. In addition, we uncover that the competition between electron--electron repulsion and electron--phonon attraction gives rise to a huge enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature near the quantum critical point which is several hundreds percent larger than that of the case when only one of the two is taken into account. Our renormalization group analysis claims that this mechanism for the enhancement of the critical temperature is not limited to superconductivity but can be applied to various Fermi surface instabilities, proposing an underlying universal structure, which turns out to be essentially identical to that of a recent study [Phys. Rev. Lett. 108 (2012) 046601] on the enhancement of the Kondo temperature in the presence of Rashba spin--orbit interaction. We speculate that the existence of this possible ``deconfined'' quantum criticality can be verified not only theoretically but also experimentally, particularly, in Li2(Pd1-xPtx)3B superconductors, varying x from 0 to 1.

Sulfur-lone pairinteractions are important conformational control elements in sulfur-containing heterocycles that abound in pharmaceuticals, natural products, agrochemicals, polymers and other important classes of organic molecules. Nonetheless, the role of intramolecular sulfur-lone pairinteractions in the binding of small molecules to receptors is often overlooked. Here we analyze the magnitudes and origins of these interactions for a variety of biologically relevant small molecules using quantum chemical and automated docking calculations. In most cases examined in this study, the lowest energy conformation of the small molecule displays a sulfur-lone pair close contact. However, docking studies, both published and new, often predict that conformations without sulfur-lone pair contacts have the best binding affinity for their respective receptors. This is a serious problem. Since many of these predicted bound conformations are not actually energetically accessible, pursuing design (e.g., drug design) around these binding modes necessarily will lead, serendipity aside, to dead end designs. Our results constitute a caution that one best not neglect these interactions when predicting the binding affinities of potential ligands (drugs or not) for hosts (enzymes, receptors, DNA, RNA, synthetic hosts). Moreover, a better understanding and awareness of sulfur-lone pairinteractions should facilitate the rational modulation of host-guest interactions involving sulfur-containing molecules. PMID:27049933

Following an explosion of studies of silicon as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries, the anomalous volumetric changes and fracture of lithiated single Si particles have attracted significant attention in various fields, including mechanics. However, in real batteries, lithiation occurs simultaneously in clusters of Si in a confined medium. Hence, understanding how the individual Si structures interact during lithiation in a closed space is necessary. Herein, we demonstrate physical/mechanical interactions of swelling Si structures during lithiation using well-defined Si nanopillar pairs. Ex situ SEM and in situ TEM studies reveal that compressive stresses change the reaction kinetics so that preferential lithiation occurs at free surfaces when the pillars are mechanically clamped. Such mechanical interactions enhance the fracture resistance of This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, under Contract No. DE-AC02-76SF00515. SLAC-PUB-16300 2 lithiated Si by lessening the tensile stress concentrations in Si structures. This study will contribute to improved design of Si structures at the electrode level for high performance Li-ion batteries.

The understanding and control of epitaxial growth of organic thin films is of crucial importance in order to optimize the performance of future electronic devices. In particular, the start of the submonolayer growth plays an important role since it often determines the structure of the first layer and subsequently of the entire molecular film. We have investigated the structure formation of 3,4,9,10-perylene-tetracarboxylic dianhydride and copper-phthalocyanine molecules on Au(111) using pair-potential calculations based on van der Waals and electrostatic intermolecular interactions. The results are compared with the fundamental lateral structures known from experiment and an excellent agreement was found for these weakly interacting systems. Furthermore, the calculations are even suitable for chemisorptive adsorption as demonstrated for copper-phthalocyanine/Cu(111), if the influence of charge transfer between substrate and molecules is known and the corresponding charge redistribution in the molecules can be estimated. The calculations are of general applicability for molecular adsorbate systems which are dominated by electrostatic and van der Waals interaction.

Although it is now well-established that boundary elements/insulators function to subdivide eukaryotic chromosomes into autonomous regulatory domains, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. One idea is that boundaries act as barriers, preventing the processive spreading of “active” or “silenced” chromatin between domains. Another is that the partitioning into autonomous functional units is a consequence of an underlying structural subdivision of the chromosome into higher order “looped” domains. In this view, boundaries are thought to delimit structural domains by interacting with each other or with some other nuclear structure. The studies reported here provide support for the looped domain model. We show that the Drosophila scs and scs‘ boundary proteins, Zw5 and BEAF, respectively, interact with each other in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, consistent with idea that this protein:protein interaction might facilitate pairing of boundary elements, we find that that scs and scs‘ are in close proximity to each other in Drosophila nuclei. PMID:12629048

Despite the discovery of a Higgs boson h (125 GeV) at the LHC run 1, its self-interaction has fully evaded direct experimental probe so far. Such self-interaction is vital for electroweak symmetry breaking, vacuum stability, and electroweak phase transition. It is a most likely place to encode new physics beyond the standard model. We parametrize such new physics by model-independent dimension-six effective operators and study their tests via Higgs pair production at hadron colliders. We analyze three major di-Higgs production channels at the parton level and compare the parameter dependence of total cross sections and kinematic distributions at the LHC (14 TeV) and p p (100 TeV) hadron collider. We further perform full simulations for the di-Higgs production channel g g →h h →b b ¯γ γ and its backgrounds at the p p (100 TeV) hadron collider. We construct four kinds of benchmark points and study the sensitivities to probing different regions of the parameter space of cubic Higgs interactions. We find that for a one-parameter analysis and with a 3 ab-1 (30 ab-1 ) integrated luminosity, the g g →h h →b b ¯γ γ channel can measure the SM cubic Higgs coupling and the derivative cubic Higgs coupling to an accuracy of about 13% (4.2%) and 5% (1.6%), respectively.

Following an explosion of studies of silicon as a negative electrode for Li-ion batteries, the anomalous volumetric changes and fracture of lithiated single Si particles have attracted significant attention in various fields, including mechanics. However, in real batteries, lithiation occurs simultaneously in clusters of Si in a confined medium. Hence, understanding how the individual Si structures interact during lithiation in a closed space is necessary. Here, we demonstrate physical and mechanical interactions of swelling Si structures during lithiation using well-defined Si nanopillar pairs. Ex situ SEM and in situ TEM studies reveal that compressive stresses change the reaction kinetics somore » that preferential lithiation occurs at free surfaces when the pillars are mechanically clamped. Such mechanical interactions enhance the fracture resistance of lithiated Si by lessening the tensile stress concentrations in Si structures. Lastly, this study will contribute to improved design of Si structures at the electrode level for high-performance Li-ion batteries.« less

Although a universal quantum computer is still far from reach, the tremendous advances in controllable quantum devices, in particular with solid-state systems, make it possible to physically implement "quantum simulators." Quantum simulators are physical setups able to simulate other quantum systems efficiently that are intractable on classical computers. Based on solid-state qubit systems with various types of nearest-neighbor interactions, we propose a complete set of algorithms for simulating pairing Hamiltonians. The fidelity of the target states corresponding to each algorithm is numerically studied. We also compare algorithms designed for different types of experimentally available Hamiltonians and analyze their complexity. Furthermore, we design a measurement scheme to extract energy spectra from the simulators. Our simulation algorithms might be feasible with state-of-the-art technology in solid-state quantum devices.

We have investigated a system of 12 electrons enclosed in a 2D square well representing a quantum dot. We employ a Jastrow-type wavefunction with Slater determinants and optimize the Jastrow parameter using the variational Monte Carlo method. We use the Metropolis algorithm to select a large distribution of configuration points and to perform a relatively noiseless calculation of the radial distribution function and to obtain insight into the contrast between the Fermi hole for the same-spin electrons and the Coulomb hole for the opposite-spin electrons. The calculated pairinteraction energy provides a handle for constructing a model Hamiltonian useful for the study of spontaneous spin magnetization of the system. Work supported in part by the USDOE.

Mass resolved resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization data for hydrogen iodide (HI), for two-photon resonance excitation to Rydberg and ion-pair states in the 69 600–72 400 cm{sup −1} region were recorded and analyzed. Spectral perturbations due to homogeneous and heterogeneous interactions between Rydberg and ion-pair states, showing as deformations in line-positions, line-intensities, and line-widths, were focused on. Parameters relevant to photodissociation processes, state interaction strengths and spectroscopic parameters for deperturbed states were derived. Overall interaction and dynamical schemes to describe the observations are proposed.

An essential step toward elucidating the mechanism of superconductivity is to determine the sign or phase of the superconducting order parameter, as it is closely related to the pairinginteraction. In conventional superconductors, the electron-phonon interaction induces attraction between electrons near the Fermi energy and results in a sign-preserved s -wave pairing. For high-temperature superconductors, including cuprates and iron-based superconductors, prevalent weak coupling theories suggest that the electron pairing is mediated by spin fluctuations which lead to repulsive interactions, and therefore that a sign-reversed pairing with an s± or d -wave symmetry is favored. Here, by using magnetic neutron scattering, a phase sensitive probe of the superconducting gap, we report the observation of a transition from the sign-reversed to sign-preserved Cooper-pairing symmetry with insignificant changes in Tc in the S-doped iron selenide superconductors KxFe2 -y(Se1-zSz) 2 . We show that a rather sharp magnetic resonant mode well below the superconducting gap (2 Δ ) in the undoped sample (z =0 ) is replaced by a broad hump structure above 2 Δ under 50% S doping. These results cannot be readily explained by simple spin fluctuation-exchange pairing theories and, therefore, multiple pairing channels are required to describe superconductivity in this system. Our findings may also yield a simple explanation for the sometimes contradictory data on the sign of the superconducting order parameter in iron-based materials.

We study the ground state pair-correlation properties of a weakly interacting trapped Bose gas in three dimensions by using a correlated many-body method. The use of the van der Waals interaction potential and an external trapping potential shows realistic features. We also test the validity of shape-independent approximation in the calculation of correlation properties.

Conventional Cooper pairing arises from attractive interaction of electrons in the metallic bands. A recent experiment on Co-doped LiFeAs shows superconductivity in the insulating valence band, which is evolved from a metallic hole band upon doping. Here we examine this phenomenon by studying superconductivity in a three-orbital Hamiltonian relevant to the doped LiFeAs. We show explicitly that Cooper pairing of the insulating hole band requires a finite pairinginteraction strength. For strong coupling, the superconductivity in the hole band is robust against the sink of the hole band below the Fermi level. Our theory predicts a substantial upward shift of the chemical potential in the superconducting transition for Co-doped LiFeAs.

On the basis of microscopic theory it is demonstrated how the coupling between the electrons by means of magnetization fluctuations in ferromagnetic metals with orthorhombic symmetry gives rise to an equal-spin pairingsuperconducting state with the general form of the order parameter dictated by symmetry. The strong upturn of the upper critical field along the b direction above 5 T in UCoGe is explained by the increase of the pairinginteraction caused by the suppression of the Curie temperature by a magnetic field parallel to the b axis. It is proposed that a similar phenomenon at a much higher field must take place also for a field directed along the magnetically hardest a direction.

Using a combination of muon-spin relaxation (μ SR ) , inelastic neutron scattering (INS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we investigated the novel iron-based superconductor with a triclinic crystal structure (CaFe1-xPtxAs ) 10Pt3As8 (Tc=13 K), containing platinum-arsenide intermediary layers. The temperature dependence of the superfluid density obtained from the μ SR relaxation-rate measurements indicates the presence of two superconducting gaps, Δ1≫Δ2 . According to our INS measurements, commensurate spin fluctuations are centered at the (π ,0 ) wave vector, like in most other iron arsenides. Their intensity remains unchanged across Tc, indicating the absence of a spin resonance typical for many Fe-based superconductors. Instead, we observed a peak in the spin-excitation spectrum around ℏ ω0=7 meV at the same wave vector, which persists above Tc and is characterized by the ratio ℏ ω0/kBTc≈6.2 , which is significantly higher than typical values for the magnetic resonant modes in iron pnictides (˜4.3 ) . The temperature dependence of magnetic intensity at 7 meV revealed an anomaly around T*=45 K related to the disappearance of this new mode. A suppression of the spin-lattice relaxation rate, 1 /T1T , observed by NMR immediately below T* without any notable subsequent anomaly at Tc, indicates that T* could mark the onset of a pseudogap in (CaFe1-xPtxAs ) 10Pt3As8 , which is likely associated with the emergence of preformed Cooper pairs.

Repulsively interacting particles in a periodic potential can form bound composite objects with long lifetimes, as has been observed experimentally [Winkler et al., Nature (London) 441, 853 (2006)]. In this paper, a complete two-particle solution of one-dimensional periodical potential was derived in a strong interaction regime, where the on-site approximation of a two-body interaction in the Bose-Hubbard model (BHM) is extended to include the interaction of nearest neighbors, which results in atom-pair hopping. The energy spectrum of the bound pair is drastically reshaped due to the pair-hopping term, and complex eigenenergy corresponding to metastable states is also found that has not been discovered in the usual BHM. When the absolute value of a center-of-mass quasimomentum wave vector is greater than a critical value (|K|>K{sub c}), two bound-pair solutions are found. Furthermore, the spatial and momentum distributions of the bound pair displays a crossover from dark to bright soliton-like solutions in the extended BHM. Our results reduce to that of the usual BHM in the weak interaction case.

We study the quantum adiabatic decoherence of a multispin array, coupled with an environment of harmonic phonons, in the framework of the theory of open quantum systems. We follow the basic formal guidelines of the well-known spin-boson model, since in this framework it is possible to derive the time dependence of the reduced density matrix in the adiabatic time scale, without resorting to coarse-graining procedures. However, instead of considering a set of uncoupled spins interacting individually with the boson field, the observed system in our model is a network of weakly interacting spin pairs; the bath corresponds to lattice phonons, and the system-environment interaction is generated by the variation of the dipole-dipole energy due to correlated shifts of the spin positions, produced by the phonons. We discuss the conditions that the model must meet in order to fit within the adiabatic regime. By identifying the coupling of the dipole-dipole spin interaction with the low-frequency acoustic modes as the source of decoherence, we calculate the decoherence function of the reduced spin density matrix in closed way, and estimate the decoherence rate of a typical element of the reduced density matrix in one- and three-dimensional models of the spin array. Using realistic values for the various parameters of the model we conclude that the dipole-phonon mechanism can be particularly efficient to degrade multispin coherences, when the number of active spins involved in a given coherence is high. The model provides insight into the microscopic irreversible spin dynamics involved in the buildup of quasiequilibrium states and in the coherence leakage during refocusing experiments in nuclear magnetic resonance of crystalline solids.

Radiation heat deposition in the superconducting magnets of the Interaction Region (IR) of a linear collider can be a serious issue that limits the magnet operating margins and shortens the material lifetime. Radiation and thermal analyses of the IR quadrupoles in the incoming and extraction beam lines of the ILC are performed in order to determine the magnet limits. This paper presents an analysis of the radial, azimuthal and longitudinal distributions of heat deposition in the incoming and disrupted beam doublets. Operation margins of the magnets based on NbTi superconductor are calculated and compared. The radiation and thermal analysis of the ILC IR quadrupoles based on Rutherford type cables was performed. It was found that the peak radiation heat deposition takes place in the second extraction quadrupole QFEX2. The maximum power density in the coil is {approx}17mW/g. This is rather high, comparing to the proton machines (LHC). However, the fast radial decay of the heat deposition together with the high thermal conductivity of the Rutherford type cable limits the coil temperatures to a moderate level. It was determined that both 2-layer and 4-layer QFEX2 magnet designs have thermal margins of a factor of {approx}4 at the nominal gradient of 31.3 T/m. Because of the large margins, these magnets can easily accommodate possible changes in the IR optics and heat deposition levels.

In the short-germ insect Tribolium, a pair-rule gene circuit consisting of the Tribolium homologs of even-skipped, runt, and odd-skipped (Tc-eve, Tc-run and Tc-odd, respectively) has been implicated in segment formation. To examine the application of the model to other taxa, I studied the expression and function of pair-rule genes in Bombyx mori, together with a Bombyx homolog of Krüppel (Bm-Kr), a known gap gene. Knockdown embryos of Bombyx homologs of eve, run and odd (Bm-eve, Bm-run and Bm-odd) exhibited asegmental phenotypes similar to those of Tribolium knockdowns. However, pair-rule gene interactions were similar to those of both Tribolium and Drosophila, which, different from Tribolium, shows a hierarchical segmentation mode. Additionally, the Bm-odd expression pattern shares characteristics with those of Drosophila pair-rule genes that receive upstream regulatory input. On the other hand, Bm-Kr knockdowns exhibited a large posterior segment deletion as observed in short-germ insects. However, a detailed analysis of these embryos indicated that Bm-Kr modulates expression of pair-rule genes like in Drosophila, although the mechanisms appear to be different. This suggested hierarchical interactions between Bm-Kr and pair-rule genes. Based on these results, I concluded that the pair-rule gene circuit model that describes Tribolium development is not applicable to Bombyx. PMID:26102481

In a medical sociology course composed of health care students with little sociology background and sociology students with no health care background, a paired observation exercise was given. Health care and sociology students were paired, and each pair observed the same medical encounter and reviewed each other's papers. (Author/RM)

In this paper, we derive oxygen abundance gradients from H II regions located in 11 galaxies in eight systems of close pairs. Long-slit spectra in the range 4400-7300 Å were obtained with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph at Gemini South (GMOS-S). Spatial profiles of oxygen abundance in the gaseous phase along galaxy discs were obtained using calibrations based on strong emission lines (N2 and O3N2). We found oxygen gradients to be significantly flatter for all the studied galaxies than those in typical isolated spiral galaxies. Four objects in our sample, AM 1219A, AM 1256B, AM 2030A and AM 2030B, show a clear break in the oxygen abundance at galactocentric radius R/R25 between 0.2 and 0.5. For AM 1219A and AM 1256B, we found negative slopes for the inner gradients, and for AM 2030B, we found a positive slope. All three cases show a flatter behaviour to the outskirts of the galaxies. For AM 2030A, we found a positive slope for the outer gradient, while the inner gradient is almost compatible with a flat behaviour. We found a decrease of star formation efficiency in the zone that corresponds to the oxygen abundance gradient break for AM 1219A and AM 2030B. For the former, a minimum in the estimated metallicities was found very close to the break zone, which could be associated with a corotation radius. However, AM 1256B and AM 2030A, present a star formation rate maximum but not an extreme oxygen abundance value. All four interacting systems that show oxygen gradient breaks have extreme SFR values located very close to break zones.The H II regions located in close pairs of galaxies follow the same relation between the ionization parameter and the oxygen abundance as those regions in isolated galaxies.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the human motor cortex results in multiple discharges (D and I waves) in the corticospinal tract. We tested whether these volleys can be explored non-invasively with paired TMS. The intensity of the first stimulus (S1) was set to produce a motor-evoked potential (MEP) of 1 mV in the resting contralateral abductor digiti minimi (ADM) muscle; the second stimulus (S2) was set to 90 % of the resting motor threshold. At interstimulus intervals of 1·1-1·5, 2·3-2·9 and 4·1-4·4 ms the MEP elicited by S1 plus S2 was larger than that produced by S1 alone.Varying the S1 intensity between 70 and 130 % resting motor threshold with S2 held constant at 90 % resting motor threshold showed that the threshold for the first MEP peak was <= 70 % resting motor threshold. The second and third MEP peaks appeared only at higher S1 intensities. The latency of all peaks decreased with increasing S1 intensity.Varying the S2 intensity with S1 held constant to produce a MEP of 1 mV on its own showed that the amplitude of all MEP peaks increased with S2 intensity, but that their timing remained unchanged.Paired TMS in the active ADM (S1 clearly suprathreshold, S2 just above threshold; interstimulus interval, 1 ms) produced strong MEP facilitation. The onset of this facilitation occurred later by about 1·5 ms than the onset of the MEP evoked by S2 alone. No MEP facilitation was seen if the magnetic S2 was replaced by anodal or cathodal transcranial electrical stimulation.It is concluded that the MEP facilitation after paired TMS, at least for the first MEP peak, is due to facilitatory interaction between I waves, and takes place in the motor cortex at or upstream from the corticospinal neurone. PMID:9679173

A new mechanism for pair production from the interaction of a laser with two nuclei is presented. The latter takes advantage of the Stark effect in diatomic molecules and the presence of molecular resonances in the negative and positive energy continua. Both move in the complex energy plane as the interatomic distance and the electric field strength are varied. We demonstrate that there is an enhancement of pair production at the crossing of these resonances. This mechanism is studied in a very simple one-dimensional model where the nuclei are modeled by delta function potential wells and the laser by a constant electric field. The position of resonances is evaluated by using the Weyl-Titchmarch-Kodaira theory, which allows to treat singular boundary value problems and to compute the spectral density. The rate of producing pairs is also computed. It is shown that this process yields a positron production rate which is approximately an order of magnitude higher than in the single nucleus case and a few orders of magnitudes higher than Schwinger's tunneling result in a static field.

We report the results of the first-time test of the local hidden variable theories (Bell-Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt) involving strongly interactingpairs of massive spin 1/2 hadrons from the decay of short-lived ({tau}<10{sup -21}sec) {sup 2}He spin-singlet state, populated in the nuclear reaction {sup 2}H+{sup 1}H{yields}{sup 2}He+n. The novel features of this experiment are (a) the use of an 'event body' detector of nearly 100% efficiency to prepare an unbiased sample and (b) a focal-plane polarimeter of full 2{pi} sr acceptance with a random 'post selection' of the reference axes. The spin-correlation function is deduced to be S{sub exp}({pi}/4)=2.83{+-}0.24{sub stat}{+-}0.07{sub sys}. This result is in agreement with nonlocal quantum mechanical prediction and it violates the Bell-CHSH inequality of vertical bar S vertical bar{<=}2 at a confidence level of 99.3%.

Apart from the FCHC (face-centered hypercube), Nasilowski's pairinteraction lattice gas (PI) is the only known lattice gas automaton for three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. Unfortunately, the viscosity of PI is not isotropic. In order to determine the degree anisotropy, the authors derive fluid dynamic equations for the regime of compressible viscid flow. From relaxation measurements of waves propagating in various directions they compute the physically relevant dissipation coefficients and compare their results with theoretical predictions. Although PI shows a high degree of anisotropy, they define the mean value of the dissipation tensor as effective shear viscosity. Using this value of v[sub eff][sup 2D] = 0.35, two-dimensional simulations of flow past a cylinder yield drag coefficients in quantitative agreement with wind tunnel measurements over a range of Reynolds numbers of 5-50. Three-dimensional simulations of flow past a sphere yield qualitative agreement with various references. A fit of the results to a semi-empirical curve provides an effective value of v[sub eff][sup 2D] = 0.21 for a range of Reynolds numbers from 0.19 to 40. In order to check for finite-size effects, the authors measured the mean free path [lambda] and computed the Knudsen numbers. They obtained [lambda] [approx]1 lattice unit, corresponding to Kn = 0.01 (2D) and Kn = 0.1 (3D). They found no significant finite-size effects. 44 refs., 10 figs.

We report observations of the acceleration and trapping of energetic ions and electrons between a pair of corotating interaction regions (CIRs). The event occurred in Carrington Rotation 2060. Observed by the STEREO-B spacecraft, the two CIRs were separated by less than 5 days. In contrast to other CIR events, the fluxes of the energetic ions and electrons in this event reached their maxima between the trailing edge of the first CIR and the leading edge of the second CIR. The radial magnetic field (B{sub r} ) reversed its sense and the anisotropy of the flux also changed from Sunward to anti-Sunward between the two CIRs. Furthermore, there was an extended period of counterstreaming suprathermal electrons between the two CIRs. Similar observations for this event were also obtained with the Advanced Composition Explorer and STEREO-A. We conjecture that these observations were due to a U-shaped, large-scale magnetic field topology connecting the reverse shock of the first CIR and the forward shock of the second CIR. Such a disconnected U-shaped magnetic field topology may have formed due to magnetic reconnection in the upper corona.

A nano-scale metallic grain (nanoparticle) with irregular boundaries in which the single-particle dynamics are chaotic is a zero-dimensional system described by the so-called universal Hamiltonian in the limit of a large number of electrons. The interaction part of this Hamiltonian includes a superconductingpairing term and a ferromagnetic exchange term. Spin-orbit scattering breaks spin symmetry and suppresses the exchange interaction term. Of particular interest is the fluctuation-dominated regime, typical of the smallest grains in the experiments, in which the bulk pairing gap is comparable to or smaller than the single-particle mean-level spacing, and the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) mean-field theory of superconductivity is no longer valid. Here we study the crossover between the BCS and fluctuation-dominated regimes in two limits. In the absence of spin-orbit scattering, the pairing and exchange interaction terms compete with each other. We describe the signatures of this competition in thermodynamic observables, the heat capacity and spin susceptibility. In the presence of strong spin-orbit scattering, the exchange interaction term can be ignored. We discuss how the magnetic-field response of discrete energy levels in such a nanoparticle is affected by pairing correlations. We identify signatures of pairing correlations in this response, which are detectable even in the fluctuation-dominated regime.

Photoelectron spectra of malonic, methylmalonic and diethylmalonic acids are reported. The energy splitting of photoelectron bands representing carbonyl oxygen lone pairs is due to a "through-bond" interaction mechanism. The magnitude of the splitting depends upon the α-alkyl substitution because of conformational effects.

The rotational spectra of two isotopologues of chlorotrifluoroethylene-dimethyl ether show that the two constituent molecules are held together by a lone pair···π interaction. The ether oxygen is linked to the (CF2) carbon atom, with a C-O distance of 2.908 Å. PMID:26812179

A problem solving strategy, Thinking Aloud Pair Problem Solving (TAPPS), developed by Arthur Whimbey to help students monitor and understand their own thought process is presented. The TAPPS strategy encouraged the students interact verbally with each other to solve chemistry problems and improve the achievements in chemistry.

Presents a study of paired-associative learning involving a total of 80 preschool and second grade children. Four familiarization categories of pretraining were utilized; results are discussed in terms of the effects of pretraining conditions and age on paired-associative learning and their consistency with some developmental hypotheses and phase…

Detailed calculations of the electronic structure, phonons and electron-phonon coupling of the superconducting compound BaIr2P2 were performed from first-principles. The electronic structure showed excellent agreement with the available experimental data. The total electron-phonon coupling constant was [Formula: see text] and the logarithmically averaged phonon frequency was [Formula: see text] K. From the Allen-Dynes formula, with [Formula: see text], the superconducting critical temperature was estimated to be [Formula: see text] K, which is in excellent agreement with the experiment. These results indicate that the electron-phonon coupling is of moderate strength and is easily capable of supporting the observed superconductivity. PMID:27494506

Global potentials for the interaction between the Ar atom and gold surfaces are investigated and Ar-Au pair potentials suitable for molecular dynamics simulations are derived. Using a periodic plane-wave representation of the electronic wave function, the nonlocal van-der-Waals vdW-DF2 and vdW-OptB86 approaches have been proved to describe better the interaction. These global interaction potentials have been decomposed to produce pair potentials. Then, the pair potentials have been compared with those derived by combining the dispersionless density functional dlDF for the repulsive part with an effective pairwise dispersion interaction. These repulsive potentials have been obtained from the decomposition of the repulsive interaction between the Ar atom and the Au2 and Au4 clusters and the dispersion coefficients have been evaluated by means of ab initio calculations on the Ar+Au2 complex using symmetry adapted perturbation theory. The pair potentials agree very well with those evaluated through periodic vdW-DF2 calculations. For benchmarking purposes, CCSD(T) calculations have also been performed for the ArAu and Ar+Au2 systems using large basis sets and extrapolations to the complete basis set limit. This work highlights that ab initio calculations using very small surface clusters can be used either as an independent cross-check to compare the performance of state-of-the-art vdW-corrected periodic DFT approaches or, directly, to calculate the pair potentials necessary in further molecular dynamics calculations. PMID:26046588

We present an analysis of the dynamics of ion-pairing of lithium fluoride (LiF) in aqueous solvent using both detailed molecular simulation as well as reduced models within a generalized Langevin equation (GLE) framework. We explored the sensitivity of the ion-pairing phenomena to the details of descriptions of molecular interaction, comparing two empirical potentials to explicit quantum based density functional theory. We find quantitative differences in the potentials of mean force for ion-pairing as well as time dependent frictions that lead to variations in the rate constant and reactive flux correlation functions. These details reflect differences in solvent response to ion-pairing between different representations of molecular interaction and influence anharmonicity of the dynamic response. We find that the short-time anharmonic response is recovered with a GLE parametrization. Recovery of the details of long time response may require extensions to the reduced model. We show that the utility of using a reduced model leads to a straightforward application of variational transition state theory concepts to the condensed phase system. The significance of this is reflected in the analysis of committor distributions and the variation of planar hypersurfaces, leading to an improved understanding of factors that determine the rate of LiF ion-pairing. PMID:26501355

The iron-free hexagonal pnictide superconductor, SrPtAs, exhibits a prime example of staggered non-centrosymmetricity with non-negligible spin-orbit coupling, where locally broken inversion symmetry, despite the presence of global inversion, results in non-trivial consequences- an enhancement of the spin susceptibility and the paramagnetic limiting field.[2] Earlier calculations revealed that SrPtAs has three bands with quasi-two-dimensional features, where corresponding Fermi surfaces have two sheets around the zone center and one around the zone corner. We extended our first-principels calculations to include phonon dispersions. From this, the electron-phonon interaction is investigted in the framework of Eliashberg theory. Phonons near the K point contribute mostly to the pairing via both inter- and intra-band scattering. Further, the possibility of pairing symmetry with chiral d + id is discussed, which has been suggested when EF moves to a van Hove singularity either by n- or p-type doping.[3] DOE (DE-FG02-05ER45372).

In quantum mechanics the properties of two and more particles can be entangled. In basic science pairs of entangled particles, so called Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pairs, play a special role as toy objects for fundamental studies. They provide such things as ``spooky interaction at distance,'' but they also enable secure encoding and teleportation and are thus important for applications in quantum information technology. Whereas EPR pairs of photons can be generated by parametric down conversion (PDC) in a crystal, a similar source for EPR pairs of electrons does not exists yet. In several theory papers, it has been suggested to use a superconductor for this purpose. The superconducting ground state is formed by a condensate of Cooper-pairs which are electron pairs in a spin-singlet state. Since there are many Cooper pairs in a metallic superconductor like Al, the main tasks are to extract Cooper pairs one by one and to split them into different arms. A controlled and efficient splitting is possible if one makes use of Coulomb interaction. This has recently be demonstrated by two groups [2-4] using hybrid quantum-dot devices with both superconducting and normal metal contacts. In the present talk, I will discuss the Cooper-pair splitter results from the Basel-Budapest-Copenhagen team and compare with the other experiments. As an outlook we discuss approaches that aim at entanglement detection. The Cooper pair splitter holds great promises because very large splitting efficiencies approaching 100% and large pair current rates appear feasible. This work has been done by L. Hofstetter, S. Csonka, A. Geresdi, M. Aagesen, J. Nygard and C. Schönenberger

The purpose of this work is to show that the selectivity of the nucleotide bases in RNA transcription c an be inferred, in principle, from the DNA base pair - RNA base interaction. The catalytic role of enzymes in this process is, therefore, only to form the sugar - phosphate backbone. A systematic study for the evaluation of the interaction energy of the DNA base pair with the enterant RNA bases have been undertaken to elucidate the aforesaid mechanism. Electrostatic hard sphere approximation of Nash and Bradley 1 has been employed. Non bonded induced dipole and London dispersion forces are not taken into account. The present communication gives the results of computations of the interaction energy of the four RNA bases. The results have been discussed with reference to Stent's and Zubay's schemes of RNA transcription. PMID:7443519

We present some experimental results about the interaction of a pair of bubbles ascending in non-Newtonian fluids. A high speed camera was used to follow in-line and off-line rising motion of two bubbles in a Newtonian fluid (a glycerin-water solution), a Boger fluid (aqueous polyacrylamide solution), and a shear-thinning fluid (aqueous xanthan solution). For the case of shear-thinning fluids, the power index, n, affects the tendency of the bubble pair to aggregate. Therefore, in addition to bubble separation, orientation and Reynolds number, the hydrodynamic force depends strongly on the shear-thinning nature of the fluid. Several examples will be shown. For elastic fluids, the Deborah number affects the hydrodynamic interaction. We found that the appearance of the negative wake changes the nature of the interaction substantially. Some examples and comparisons with numerical results will be presented.

New spectral line observations, obtained with the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), of a sample of 34 galaxies in 17 close pairs are presented in this paper. The sample of galaxy pairs is selected to contain galaxies in close, major interactions (i.e. projected separations <30 h_{70}^{-1} kpc, and mass ratios less extreme than 4:1), while still having a sufficiently large angular separation that the VLA can spatially resolve both galaxies in the pair. Of the 34 galaxies, 17 are detected at >3σ. We compare the H I gas fraction of the galaxies with the triggered star formation present in that galaxy. When compared to the star formation rates (SFRs) of non-pair galaxies matched in mass, redshift, and local environment, we find that the star formation enhancement is weakly positively correlated (˜2.5σ) with H I gas fraction. In order to help understand the physical mechanisms driving this weak correlation, we also present results from a small suite of binary galaxy merger simulations with varying gas fractions. The simulated galaxies indicate that larger initial gas fractions are associated with lower levels of interaction-triggered star formation (relative to an identical galaxy in isolation), but also show that high gas fraction galaxies have higher absolute SFRs prior to an interaction. We show that when interaction-driven SFR enhancements are calculated relative to a galaxy with an average gas fraction for its stellar mass, the relationship between SFR and initial gas fraction dominates over the SFR enhancements driven by the interaction. Simulated galaxy interactions that are matched in stellar mass but not in gas fraction, like our VLA sample, yield the same general positive correlation between SFR enhancement and gas fraction that we observe.

Identification of pairing mechanism leading to ferromagnetic superconductivity is one of the most challenging issues in condensed matter physics. Although different models have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, a quantitative understanding about this pairing is yet to be achieved. Using the localized-itinerant model, we find that in ferromagnetic superconducting materials both triplet pairing and singlet pairing of electrons are possible through magnon exchange depending upon whether the Debye cut off frequency of magnons is greater or lesser than the Hund's coupling (J) multiplied by average spin (S) per site. Taking into account the repulsive interaction due to the existence of paramagnons, we also find an expression for effective interaction potential between a pair of electrons with opposite spins. We apply the developed formalism in case of UGe{sub 2} and URhGe. The condition of singlet pairing is found to be fulfilled in these cases, as was previously envisaged by Suhl [Suhl, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 167007 (2001)]. We compute the critical temperatures of URhGe at ambient pressure and of UGe{sub 2} under different pressures for the first time through BCS equation. Thus, this work outlines a very simple way to evaluate critical temperature in case of a superconducting system. A close match with the available experimental results strongly supports our theoretical treatment.

A necessary condition for superconductivity (SC) driven by electron correlation is that electron electron (e-e) interactions enhance superconductingpair-pair correlations, relative to the non-interacting limit. We present the results of high-precision calculations of superconductingpair-pair correlations on four different frustrated lattices over the complete range of carrier density 0 < ρ < 1 in each case. We find that pair correlations are enhanced relative to the noninteracting limit only for density ρ equal to or close to 0 . 5 (1 / 4 filling). At all other ρ pair correlations are suppressed by interactions. This enhancement is due to the proximity to a spin-gapped paired-electron crystal (PEC) state that occurs at ρ = 0 . 5 . Our theory explains the pseudogap observed at high temperatures in many organic superconductors. The remarkable bandfilling specificity is an essential ingredient to understanding the mechanism of superconductivity in the two-dimensional organic charge-transfer solids as well as the many different families of other unconventional superconductors that share this bandfilling. Supported by DOE Grant DE-FG02-06ER46315 and NSF-CHE-151475.

Alkali-doped fullerides ({{A}3}{{\\text{C}}60} with A = K, Rb, Cs) show a surprising phase diagram, in which a high transition-temperature ({{T}\\text{c}} ) s-wave superconducting state emerges next to a Mott insulating phase as a function of the lattice spacing. This is in contrast with the common belief that Mott physics and phonon-driven s-wave superconductivity are incompatible, raising a fundamental question on the mechanism of the high-{{T}\\text{c}} superconductivity. This article reviews recent ab initio calculations, which have succeeded in reproducing comprehensively the experimental phase diagram with high accuracy and elucidated an unusual cooperation between the electron-phonon coupling and the electron-electron interactions leading to Mott localization to realize an unconventional s-wave superconductivity in the alkali-doped fullerides. A driving force behind the exotic physics is unusual intramolecular interactions, characterized by the coexistence of a strongly repulsive Coulomb interaction and a small effectively negative exchange interaction. This is realized by a subtle energy balance between the coupling with the Jahn-Teller phonons and Hund’s coupling within the {{\\text{C}}60} molecule. The unusual form of the interaction leads to a formation of pairs of up- and down-spin electrons on the molecules, which enables the s-wave pairing. The emergent superconductivity crucially relies on the presence of the Jahn-Teller phonons, but surprisingly benefits from the strong correlations because the correlations suppress the kinetic energy of the electrons and help the formation of the electron pairs, in agreement with previous model calculations. This confirms that the alkali-doped fullerides are a new type of unconventional superconductors, where the unusual synergy between the phonons and Coulomb interactions drives the high-{{T}\\text{c}} superconductivity.

Alkali-doped fullerides (A3C60 with A = K, Rb, Cs) show a surprising phase diagram, in which a high transition-temperature (Tc) s-wave superconducting state emerges next to a Mott insulating phase as a function of the lattice spacing. This is in contrast with the common belief that Mott physics and phonon-driven s-wave superconductivity are incompatible, raising a fundamental question on the mechanism of the high-Tc superconductivity. This article reviews recent ab initio calculations, which have succeeded in reproducing comprehensively the experimental phase diagram with high accuracy and elucidated an unusual cooperation between the electron-phonon coupling and the electron-electron interactions leading to Mott localization to realize an unconventional s-wave superconductivity in the alkali-doped fullerides. A driving force behind the exotic physics is unusual intramolecular interactions, characterized by the coexistence of a strongly repulsive Coulomb interaction and a small effectively negative exchange interaction. This is realized by a subtle energy balance between the coupling with the Jahn-Teller phonons and Hund's coupling within the C60 molecule. The unusual form of the interaction leads to a formation of pairs of up- and down-spin electrons on the molecules, which enables the s-wave pairing. The emergent superconductivity crucially relies on the presence of the Jahn-Teller phonons, but surprisingly benefits from the strong correlations because the correlations suppress the kinetic energy of the electrons and help the formation of the electron pairs, in agreement with previous model calculations. This confirms that the alkali-doped fullerides are a new type of unconventional superconductors, where the unusual synergy between the phonons and Coulomb interactions drives the high-Tc superconductivity. PMID:26974650

Hydrodynamic interactions between a pair of capsules in simple shear are numerically investigated using a front-tracking finite difference method. The membrane of the capsule is modeled using different hyperelastic constitutive relations. We also compare the pairinteractions between drops to those between capsules. An increased viscosity ratio leads to a reduced net cross-stream separation between capsules as well as drops after collision. At low viscosity ratios, for the same capillary number drop-pairs show higher cross-stream separation than those for capsule-pairs, while substantially large viscosity ratios result in almost the same value for both cases. We investigate pair-collisions between two heterogeneous capsules C1 and C2 with two different capillary numbers. The maximum deformation of C1 was seen to increase with increasing stiffness (decreasing capillary number) of C2, even though the stiffness of C1 was kept fixed. The findings are similar for a drop-pair, however, with a smaller maximum deformation for the same combinations of capillary numbers. The final cross-stream drift of the trajectory of C1 decreases with the increasing stiffness of C2, but the relative trajectory between the capsules remains unchanged. The maximum deformation and the cross-stream drift of the trajectory of C1 are shown to approximately vary with power-law functions of the ratio of the capillary numbers of C1 and C2. An analytical explanation of the dependence on the two capillary numbers is offered. Different membrane constitutive laws result in similar deformation and drift in trajectory.

The mouse Pax-3 gene encodes a protein that is a member of the Pax family of DNA binding proteins. Pax-3 contains two DNA binding domains: a paired domain (PD) and a paired type homeodomain (HD). Both domains are separated by 53 amino acids and interact synergistically with a sequence harboring an ATTA motif (binding to the HD) and a GTTCC site (binding to the PD) separated by 5 base pairs. Here we show that the interaction of Pax-3 with these two binding sites is independent of their angular orientation. In addition, the protein spacer region between the HD and the PD can be shortened without changing the spatial flexibility of the two DNA binding domains which interact with DNA. Furthermore, by using circular permutation analysis we determined that binding of Pax-3 to a DNA fragment containing a specific binding site causes conformational changes in the DNA, as indicated by the different mobilities of the Pax-3-DNA complexes. The ability to change the conformation of the DNA was found to be an intrinsic property of the Pax-3 PD and of all Pax proteins that we tested so far. These in vitro studies suggest that interaction of Pax proteins with their specific sequences in vivo may result in an altered DNA conformation. Images PMID:8065927

I will discuss the possibility of realizing a time-reversal-symmetry breaking superconducting state that exhibits an f + is pairing symmetry in strained graphene. Although the underlying attractive interactions need to be sufficiently strong and comparable in pristine graphene to support such pairing state, I will argue that strain can be conducive for its formation even for weak interactions. I will show that quantum-critical behavior near the transition is controlled by a fermionic multicritical point, characterized by various critical exponents computed in the framework of an ɛ-expansion near four spacetime dimensions. I will then discuss the scaling of the superconducting gap with the strain-induced axial pseudo-magnetic field. Furthermore, a vortex in this mixed superconducting state hosts a pair of Majorana fermions supporting a quartet of insulating and superconducting orders, among which quantum spin Hall topological insulator. Finally, I will mention some experimental signatures of this f + is time-reversal odd superconductor. These findings suggest that strained graphene could provide a platform for the realization of exotic superconducting states of Dirac fermions. VJ is supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).

When anticyclonic eddies shed by the Loop Current of the Gulf of Mexico reach the western margin of the gulf, they influence the surface circulation over the continental slope and rise. Of particular interest is the generation of cyclone (cold-core)-anticyclone (warm-core) pairs when aging Loop Current eddies interact with the continental margin. In this paper we describe the physical and biological characteristics of these cyclone-anticyclone pairs. Our objective was to determine how eddy pairs affect the distribution of phytoplankton in the region and how satellite ocean color measurements are applicable to tracing of the eddies. We present shipboard data collected between 1980 and 1982 on the hydrography, chlorophyll stocks, and nutrient concentrations of eddy pairs in the western Gulf of Mexico and compare these data with coastal zone color scanner (CZCS) images collected during the time frame of the cruises. Surface pigment concentrations followed a seasonal cycle, with low concentrations (0.05-0.1 mg m(exp -3)) found within cyclones and anticyclones from April through early November and higher concentrations (greater than 0.1 mg(exp -3)) found in the winter. CZCS pigment concentrations were locally high in the flow confluence of cyclone-anticyclone pairs. The CZCS imagery shows that some cyclone-anticyclone geometries transport high-chlorophyll shelf water seaward at least 100-200 km off-shelf.

We consider the dynamics of a two-layer compensated vortex pair (heton) interacting with a submerged cylindrical obstacle of small height located in the lower layer of a two-layer fluid in the f-plane. The pair consists of two counter-rotating vortices of equal strengths each located in different layers of the two-layer rotating fluid. We make use of two approaches. The first one considers a model of point vortices, and the second one assumes the vortices as finite-core vorticity patches analyzed by means of contour dynamics techniques. The point vortex model features two regimes of the pair's motion: an unbounded motion as the pair advances to infinity after being deflected by the cylindrical obstacle and an oscillatory motion inside a bounded region near the cylindrical obstacle. The oscillations, in turn, are of two types. The first corresponds to a finite yet unpredictable number of vortex revolutions near the cylinder, and the second results in an infinite number of revolutions. By exploiting contour dynamics techniques, we obtain very similar unbounded dynamics of a distributed vorticity heton given relatively strong stratification. An important feature of this dynamics is that the contours associated with the pair hold almost unperturbed signifying sufficient stability. By decreasing stratification, we observe complicated dynamics involving vorticity redistribution and vortex splitting.

Intermolecular and intramolecular halogen···π interactions in benzylic halides (Ph-CR2-X; X = F, Cl, Br and I) derived from 7-phenylnorbornane were investigated. The imposed geometry of the 7-arylnorbornane moiety prevents the participation of intramolecular attractive interactions between the σ-hole region of the halogen atom and the π electrons of the aromatic ring. Crystallographic data show intermolecular halogen bonds in iodide 1 and bromide 2 in the solid state. On the other hand, both UV-Vis and D-NMR data suggest the occurrence of intramolecular interactions between the halogen atoms and the phenyl rings in these compounds in solution. To provide more insight into the nature of the observed stabilizing interactions, density functional calculations were also carried out. These computations confirm the presence of genuine lone pairπ intramolecular interactions which strongly affect the stability and the electronic structure of these species. PMID:25960103

Two-electron three-center bonding interactions in organic ions like methonium (CH5(+)), ethonium (C2H7(+)), and protonated alkanes n - C4H11(+) isomers (butonium cations) are described and characterized within the theoretical framework of the topological analysis of the electron density decomposition into its effectively paired and unpaired contributions. These interactions manifest in some of this type of systems as a concentration of unpaired electron cloud around the bond paths, in contrast to the well known paradigmatic boron hydrids in which it is not only concentrated close to the atomic nucleus and the bond paths but out of them and over the region defined by the involved atoms as a whole. This result permits to propose an attempt of classification for these interactions based in such manifestations. In the first type, it is called as interactions through bonds and in the second type as interactions through space type. PMID:24811636

Effects of interlayer lone-pairinteractions on the electronic structure of SnO are firstly explored by the density-functional theory. Our comprehensive study reveals that the band gap of SnO opens as increase in the interlayer Sn-Sn distance. The effect is rationalized by the character of band edges which consists of bonding and anti-bonding states from interlayer lone pairinteractions. The band edges for several nanosheets and strained double-layer SnO are estimated. We conclude that the double-layer SnO is a promising material for visible-light driven photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution. This work is supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO) program.

We study a model of a multi-photon interaction of a single Cooper pair box with a cavity field. The exchange of the information using this system is studied. We quantify the fidelity of the transmitted information. The effect of the system parameters (detuning parameter, field photons, state density and mean photon number) in the fidelity of the transmitted information is investigated. We found that the fidelity of the transmitted information can be controlled using the system parameters.

In the past, the resonant cyclotron interaction between runaway electrons and lower hybrid waves via anomalous Doppler broadening was experimentally investigated, and it was shown to be able to create a barrier to the energy that could be reached by the runaway electrons [E. Li et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A 621, 566 (2010)]. In this paper, to our knowledge for the first time, experimental evidence will be provided for a resonant cyclotron interaction between runaway electrons and magnetohydrodynamics modes in a stochastic magnetic field in the experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST), which has been theoretically proposed as a mechanism able to limit the maximum attainable energy by runaway electrons in tokamak plasmas [J. R. Martin-Solis and R. Sanchez, Phys. Plasmas 15, 112505 (2008)].

This study examines the opportunities that a collaborative writing task completed in pairs and in small groups offers for attention to form. Previous research suggests that collaborative writing activities encourage learners to focus their attention on language and to collaborate in the resolution of their language-related problems in ways that…

Protein structures are stabilized using noncovalent interactions. In addition to the traditional noncovalent interactions, newer types of interactions are thought to be present in proteins. One such interaction, an anion-{pi} pair, in which the positively charged edge of an aromatic ring interacts with an anion, forming a favorable anion-quadrupole interaction, has been previously proposed [Jackson, M. R., et al. (2007) J. Phys. Chem. B111, 8242-8249]. To study the role of anion-{pi} interactions in stabilizing protein structure, we analyzed pairwise interactions between phenylalanine (Phe) and the anionic amino acids, aspartate (Asp) and glutamate (Glu). Particular emphasis was focused on identification of Phe-Asp or -Glu pairs separated by less than 7 {angstrom} in the high-resolution, nonredundant Protein Data Bank. Simplifying Phe to benzene and Asp or Glu to formate molecules facilitated in silico analysis of the pairs. Kitaura-Morokuma energy calculations were performed on roughly 19000 benzene-formate pairs and the resulting energies analyzed as a function of distance and angle. Edgewise interactions typically produced strongly stabilizing interaction energies (-2 to -7.3 kcal/mol), while interactions involving the ring face resulted in weakly stabilizing to repulsive interaction energies. The strongest, most stabilizing interactions were identified as preferentially occurring in buried residues. Anion-{pi} pairs are found throughout protein structures, in helices as well as {beta} strands. Numerous pairs also had nearby cation-{pi} interactions as well as potential {pi}-{pi} stacking. While more than 1000 structures did not contain an anion-{pi} pair, the 3134 remaining structures contained approximately 2.6 anion-{pi} pairs per protein, suggesting it is a reasonably common motif that could contribute to the overall structural stability of a protein.

Applying the Planck-Benzinger methodology, the sequence-specific hydrophobic interactions of 35 dipeptide pairs were examined over a temperature range of 273–333 K, based on data reported by Nemethy and Scheraga in 1962. The hydrophobic interaction in these sequence-specific dipeptide pairs is highly similar in its thermodynamic behavior to that of other biological systems. The results imply that the negative Gibbs free energy change minimum at a well-defined stable temperature, 〈Ts〉, where the bound unavailable energy, TΔSo = 0, has its origin in the sequence-specific hydrophobic interactions, are highly dependent on details of molecular structure. Each case confirms the existence of a thermodynamic molecular switch wherein a change of sign in ΔCpo(T)reaction (change in specific heat capacity of reaction at constant pressure) leads to true negative minimum in the Gibbs free energy change of reaction, ΔGo(T)reaction, and hence a maximum in the related equilibrium constant, Keq. Indeed, all interacting biological systems examined to date by Chun using the Planck-Benzinger methodology have shown such a thermodynamic switch at the molecular level, suggesting its existence may be universal. PMID:12547816

fermions, understand what sets the upper scale for attractive interaction, compute T_c, and then obtain and solve matrix non-linear gap equation for spin-mediated pairing and study various feedbacks from the pairing on fermions on ARPES spectra, optical and thermal conductivity, and other observables, The problems I have chosen are quite generic, and the understanding of magnetically-mediated superconductivity in the strong-coupling regime will not only advance the theory of superconductivity in FeSCs, but will contribute to a generic understanding of the pairing of fermions near quantum-critical points -- the problems ranging from s-wave pairing by soft optical phonons to to color superconductivity of quarks mediated by a gluon exchange.

In high-intensity (>10{sup 21} Wcm{sup −2}) laser–matter interactions gamma-ray photon emission by the electrons can strongly affect the electron's dynamics and copious numbers of electron–positron pairs can be produced by the emitted photons. We show how these processes can be included in simulations by coupling a Monte Carlo algorithm describing the emission to a particle-in-cell code. The Monte Carlo algorithm includes quantum corrections to the photon emission, which we show must be included if the pair production rate is to be correctly determined. The accuracy, convergence and energy conservation properties of the Monte Carlo algorithm are analysed in simple test problems.

A nonperturbative approach to unconventional superconductivity is developed based on the idea of two-particle self-consistent (TPSC) theory by Vilk and Tremblay. A sum rule, which the momentum-dependent pairing susceptibility satisfies, is derived. An effective pairinginteraction between quasiparticles is determined so that the susceptibility should fulfill this exact sum rule, in which fluctuations belonging to different symmetries couple at finite momentum. It is demonstrated that the mode coupling between d-wave and s-wave pairing fluctuations leads to suppression of the d-wave fluctuation near the Mott insulator.

Genomes are organized into three-dimensional structures, adopting higher-order conformations inside the micron-sized nuclear spaces 7, 2, 12. Such architectures are not random and involve interactions between gene promoters and regulatory elements 13. The binding of transcription factors to specific regulatory sequences brings about a network of transcription regulation and coordination 1, 14. Chromatin Interaction Analysis by Paired-End Tag Sequencing (ChIA-PET) was developed to identify these higher-order chromatin structures 5,6. Cells are fixed and interacting loci are captured by covalent DNA-protein cross-links. To minimize non-specific noise and reduce complexity, as well as to increase the specificity of the chromatin interaction analysis, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) is used against specific protein factors to enrich chromatin fragments of interest before proximity ligation. Ligation involving half-linkers subsequently forms covalent links between pairs of DNA fragments tethered together within individual chromatin complexes. The flanking MmeI restriction enzyme sites in the half-linkers allow extraction of paired end tag-linker-tag constructs (PETs) upon MmeI digestion. As the half-linkers are biotinylated, these PET constructs are purified using streptavidin-magnetic beads. The purified PETs are ligated with next-generation sequencing adaptors and a catalog of interacting fragments is generated via next-generation sequencers such as the Illumina Genome Analyzer. Mapping and bioinformatics analysis is then performed to identify ChIP-enriched binding sites and ChIP-enriched chromatin interactions 8. We have produced a video to demonstrate critical aspects of the ChIA-PET protocol, especially the preparation of ChIP as the quality of ChIP plays a major role in the outcome of a ChIA-PET library. As the protocols are very long, only the critical steps are shown in the video. PMID:22564980

The seven-transmembrane-spanning receptors of the FZD1-10 class are bound and activated by the WNT family of lipoglycoproteins, thereby inducing a complex network of signaling pathways. However, the specificity of the interaction between mammalian WNT and FZD proteins and the subsequent signaling cascade downstream of the different WNT-FZD pairs have not been systematically addressed to date. In this study, we determined the binding affinities of various WNTs for different members of the FZD family by using bio-layer interferometry and characterized their functional selectivity in a cell system. Using purified WNTs, we show that different FZD cysteine-rich domains prefer to bind to distinct WNTs with fast on-rates and slow off-rates. In a 32D cell-based system engineered to overexpress FZD2, FZD4, or FZD5, we found that WNT-3A (but not WNT-4, -5A, or -9B) activated the WNT-β-catenin pathway through FZD2/4/5 as measured by phosphorylation of LRP6 and β-catenin stabilization. Surprisingly, different WNT-FZD pairs showed differential effects on phosphorylation of DVL2 and DVL3, revealing a previously unappreciated DVL isoform selectivity by different WNT-FZD pairs in 32D cells. In summary, we present extensive mapping of WNT-FZD cysteine-rich domain interactions complemented by analysis of WNT-FZD pair functionality in a unique cell system expressing individual FZD isoforms. Differential WNT-FZD binding and selective functional readouts suggest that endogenous WNT ligands evolved with an intrinsic natural bias toward different downstream signaling pathways, a phenomenon that could be of great importance in the design of FZD-targeting drugs. PMID:25605717

The seven-transmembrane-spanning receptors of the FZD1–10 class are bound and activated by the WNT family of lipoglycoproteins, thereby inducing a complex network of signaling pathways. However, the specificity of the interaction between mammalian WNT and FZD proteins and the subsequent signaling cascade downstream of the different WNT-FZD pairs have not been systematically addressed to date. In this study, we determined the binding affinities of various WNTs for different members of the FZD family by using bio-layer interferometry and characterized their functional selectivity in a cell system. Using purified WNTs, we show that different FZD cysteine-rich domains prefer to bind to distinct WNTs with fast on-rates and slow off-rates. In a 32D cell-based system engineered to overexpress FZD2, FZD4, or FZD5, we found that WNT-3A (but not WNT-4, -5A, or -9B) activated the WNT-β-catenin pathway through FZD2/4/5 as measured by phosphorylation of LRP6 and β-catenin stabilization. Surprisingly, different WNT-FZD pairs showed differential effects on phosphorylation of DVL2 and DVL3, revealing a previously unappreciated DVL isoform selectivity by different WNT-FZD pairs in 32D cells. In summary, we present extensive mapping of WNT-FZD cysteine-rich domain interactions complemented by analysis of WNT-FZD pair functionality in a unique cell system expressing individual FZD isoforms. Differential WNT-FZD binding and selective functional readouts suggest that endogenous WNT ligands evolved with an intrinsic natural bias toward different downstream signaling pathways, a phenomenon that could be of great importance in the design of FZD-targeting drugs. PMID:25605717

The surface of a 3D topological insulator is described by a helical electron state with the electron's spin and momentum locked together. We show that in the presence of ferromagnetic fluctuations the surface of a topological insulator is unstable towards a superconducting state with unusual pairing, dubbed Amperean pairing. The key idea is that the dynamical fluctuations of a ferromagnetic layer deposited on the surface of a topological insulator couple to the electrons as gauge fields. The transverse components of the magnetic gauge fields are unscreened and can mediate an effective interaction between electrons. There is an attractive interaction between electrons with momenta in the same direction which makes the pairing to be of Amperean type. We show that this attractive interaction leads to a p -wave pairing instability of the Fermi surface in the Cooper channel.

The surface of a 3D topological insulator is described by a helical electron state with the electron's spin and momentum locked together. We show that in the presence of ferromagnetic fluctuations the surface of a topological insulator is unstable towards a superconducting state with unusual pairing, dubbed Amperean pairing. The key idea is that the dynamical fluctuations of a ferromagnetic layer deposited on the surface of a topological insulator couple to the electrons as gauge fields. The transverse components of the magnetic gauge fields are unscreened and can mediate an effective interaction between electrons. There is an attractive interaction between electrons with momenta in the same direction which makes the pairing to be of Amperean type. We show that this attractive interaction leads to a p-wave pairing instability of the Fermi surface in the Cooper channel. PMID:27563988

Integral enthalpies of dissolution Δsol H m of DL-valine are measured via calorimetry of dissolution in aqueous solutions of glycerol, ethylene glycol, and 1,2-propylene glycol. Standard values of the enthalpies of dissolution (Δsol H ○) and transfer (Δtr H ○) of amino acid from water to mixed solvent are calculated from the resulting experimental data. The enthalpy coefficients for pairinteractions hxy of amino acid with polyatomic alcohol molecules are calculated using the McMillan-Meyer theory and have positive values. The obtained results are discussed in light of the theory of the predomination of various types of interactions in mixed solutions and the effect of structural features of interacting biomolecules on the thermochemical parameters of the dissolution of amino acids.

We report radial velocity (RV) measurements of the G-type subgiants 24 Sextanis (= HD 90043) and HD 200964. Both are massive, evolved stars that exhibit periodic variations due to the presence of a pair of Jovian planets. Photometric monitoring with the T12 0.80 m APT at Fairborn Observatory demonstrates both stars to be constant in brightness to {<=}0.002 mag, thus strengthening the planetary interpretation of the RV variations. Based on our dynamical analysis of the RV time series, 24 Sex b, c have orbital periods of 452.8 days and 883.0 days, corresponding to semimajor axes 1.333 AU and 2.08 AU, and minimum masses 1.99 M{sub Jup} and 0.86 M{sub Jup}, assuming a stellar mass M{sub *}= 1.54 M{sub sun}. HD 200964 b, c have orbital periods of 613.8 days and 825.0 days, corresponding to semimajor axes 1.601 AU and 1.95 AU, and minimum masses 1.99 M{sub Jup} and 0.90 M{sub Jup}, assuming M{sub *}= 1.44 M{sub sun}. We also carry out dynamical simulations to properly account for gravitational interactions between the planets. Most, if not all, of the dynamically stable solutions include crossing orbits, suggesting that each system is locked in a mean-motion resonance that prevents close encounters and provides long-term stability. The planets in the 24 Sex system likely have a period ratio near 2:1, while the HD 200964 system is even more tightly packed with a period ratio close to 4:3. However, we caution that further RV observations and more detailed dynamical modeling will be required to provide definitive and unique orbital solutions for both cases, and to determine whether the two systems are truly resonant.

A significant challenge in the molecular interaction field is to accurately determine the stoichiometry and stepwise binding affinity constants for macromolecules having >1 binding site. The mission of the Molecular Interactions Research Group (MIRG) of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) is to show how biophysical technologies are used to quantitatively characterize molecular interactions, and to educate the ABRF members and scientific community on the utility and limitations of core technologies [such as biosensor, microcalorimetry, or analytic ultracentrifugation (AUC)]. In the present work, the MIRG has developed a robust model protein interactionpair consisting of a bivalent variant of the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens extracellular RNase barnase and a variant of its natural monovalent intracellular inhibitor protein barstar. It is demonstrated that this system can serve as a benchmarking tool for the quantitative analysis of 2-site protein-protein interactions. The protein interactionpair enables determination of precise binding constants for the barstar protein binding to 2 distinct sites on the bivalent barnase binding partner (termed binase), where the 2 binding sites were engineered to possess affinities that differed by 2 orders of magnitude. Multiple MIRG laboratories characterized the interaction using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), AUC, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) methods to evaluate the feasibility of the system as a benchmarking model. Although general agreement was seen for the binding constants measured using solution-based ITC and AUC approaches, weaker affinity was seen for surface-based method SPR, with protein immobilization likely affecting affinity. An analysis of the results from multiple MIRG laboratories suggests that the bivalent barnase-barstar system is a suitable model for benchmarking new approaches for the quantitative characterization of complex biomolecular interactions. PMID:26543437

We study whether fine discretization (i.e., terracing) of continuous pairinteractions, when used in combination with first-order mean-spherical approximation theory, can lead to a simple and general analytical strategy for predicting the equilibrium structure and thermodynamics of complex fluids. Specifically, we implement a version of this approach to predict how screened electrostatic repulsions, solute-mediated depletion attractions, or ramp-shaped repulsions modify the radial distribution function and the potential energy of reference hard-sphere fluids, and we compare the predictions to exact results from molecular simulations. PMID:24181996

The rotational spectra of four isotopologues of the adduct C2F3Cl-NH3 show that NH3 is bound to the partner molecule through a (N)lone-pair···π interaction. Ammonia is located in proximity to the C2 atom (the one linked to two fluorine atoms), with the C2···N distance = 2.987(2) Å. The nuclear hyperfine structure due to the quadrupole coupling effects of (35)Cl/(37)Cl and (14)N nuclei has been fully resolved. The (14)N quadrupole coupling constants allow estimating the effective orientation of NH3 in the complex. PMID:25484247

The phase difference between the banks of an edge-type planar Josephson junction crossing the narrow thin-film strip depends on wether or not vortices are present in the junction banks. For a vortex close to the junction this effect has been seen by Golod, Rydh, and Krasnov [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 227003 (2010)], who showed that the vortex may turn the junction into π type. It is shown here that even if the vortex is far away from the junction, it still changes the 0 junction to a π junction when situated close to the strip edges. Within the approximation used, the effect is independent of the vortex-junction separation, a manifestation of the topology of the vortex phase which extends to macroscopic distances of superconducting coherence.

For the HERA luminosity upgrade two types of compact multifunction superconducting magnets, denoted GO and GG, are needed for installation inside the existing ZEUS and Hl experimental detectors in the year 2000. These magnets contain multiple concentric coil layers organized into independently powered quadrupole, dipole, skew quadrupole and skew dipole coil windings. Production of the first of three GO magnets using a newly constructed coil winding machine is currently in progress at BNL. The GG design is being completed and parallel production at BNL of three GG units will start soon. In this paper we highlight HERA upgrade magnet design challenges, present our production solutions and relate experience and results gained from warm and cold testing of short model magnets.

We study the effective pairinteractions between two charged spherical particles in polyelectrolyte solutions using polymer self-consistent field theory. In a recent study [V. Pryamitsyn and V. Ganesan, Macromolecules 47, 6095 (2015)], we considered a model in which the particles possess fixed charge density, the polymers contain a prespecified amount of dissociated charges and, the dielectric constant of the solution was assumed to be homogeneous in space and independent of the polymer concentration. In this article, we present results extending our earlier model to study situations in which either or both the particle and the polymers possess partially dissociable groups. Additionally, we also consider the case when the dielectric constant of the solution depends on the local concentration of the polymers and when the particle’s dielectric constant is lower than that of the solvent. For each case, we quantify the polymer-mediated interactions between the particles as a function of the polymer concentrations and the degree of dissociation of the polymer and particles. Consistent with the results of our previous study, we observe that the polymer-mediated interparticle interactions consist of a short-range attraction and a long-range repulsion. The partial dissociablity of the polymer and particles was seen to have a strong influence on the strength of the repulsive portion of the interactions. Rendering the dielectric permittivity to be inhomogeneous has an even stronger effect on the repulsive interactions and results in changes to the qualitative nature of interactions in some parametric ranges.

The Jefferson Lab 12 GeV Upgrade in Hall B will need CLAS12 detector that requires two superconducting magnets. One is a magnet system consisting of six superconducting trapezoidal racetrack-type coils assembled in a Toroidal configuration (Torus) and the second is an actively shielded solenoidal magnet (Solenoid). Both the torus and solenoid are located in close proximity to one another and are surrounded by sensitive detectors. This paper investigates the electromagnetic interactions between the two systems during normal operation as well as during various fault scenarios as part of a Risk Assessment and Mitigation (RAM).

One major challenge in building a large scale quantum computer is to generate and manipulate interactions between its many qubits. One promising approach is to use parametric flux or voltage modulation to realize effective interactions between different components of superconducting circuits, generating artificial Hamiltonians that are suitable for various quantum computation tasks, which might be difficult to achieve through other means. We propose a parametric superconducting circuit where transmon qubits and resonators are coupled to a flux-modulated parametric coupler. We show that with this device, arbitrary pairs of qubits or resonators in the circuit can be selectively and simultaneously brought into resonance with each other and swap excitations at a controllable rate. This allows for the creation of various artificial circuit Hamiltonians that are suitable for a number of applications such as single qubit state stablization, parametric qubit state readout, autonomous error correction and so on.

A new approach to the theory of high-temperature superconductivity is proposed, based on the two-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin correlations observed in these materials over distances large compared to the lattice spacing. The spin ordering produces an electronic pseudogap which is locally suppressed by the addition of a hole. This suppression forms a bag inside which the hole is self-consistently trapped. Two holes are attracted by sharing a common bag. The resulting pairinginteraction leads to a superconducting energy gap which is nodeless over the Femri surface.

We propose an architecture based on superconducting qubits and resonators for the implementation of a variety of exotic lattice systems, such as spin and Hubbard models in higher or fractal dimensions and higher-genus topologies. Spin systems are realized naturally using qubits, while superconducting resonators can be used for the realization of Bose-Hubbard models. Fundamental requirements for these designs, such as controllable interactions between arbitrary qubit pairs, have recently been implemented in the laboratory, rendering our proposals feasible with current technology.

The ILC Beam Delivery System (BDS) uses a variety of superconducting magnets to maximize luminosity and minimize background. Compact final focus quadrupoles with multifunction correction coils focus incoming beams to few nanometer spot sizes while focusing outgoing disrupted beams into a separate extraction beam line. Anti-solenoids mitigate effects from overlapping focusing and the detector solenoid field. Far from the interaction point (IP) strong octupoles help minimize IP backgrounds. A low-field but very large aperture dipole is integrated with the detector solenoid to reduce backgrounds from beamstrahlung pairs generated at the IP. Physics requirements and magnetic design solutions for the BDS superconducting magnets are reviewed in this paper.

Superconducting boron-doped diamond samples were synthesized with isotopes of {sup 10}B, {sup 11}B, {sup 13}C and {sup 12}C. We claim the presence of a carbon isotope effect on the superconducting transition temperature, which supports the 'diamond-carbon'-related nature of superconductivity and the importance of the electron-phonon interaction as the mechanism of superconductivity in diamond. Isotope substitution permits us to relate almost all bands in the Raman spectra of heavily boron-doped diamond to the vibrations of carbon atoms. The 500 cm{sup 01} Raman band shifts with either carbon or boron isotope substitution and may be associated with vibrations of paired or clustered boron. The absence of a superconducting transition (down to 1.6 K) in diamonds synthesized in the Co-C-B system at 1900 K correlates with the small boron concentration deduced from lattice parameters.

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a deep underground repository for the disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The WIPP is located within the bedded salts of the Permian Salado Formation, which consists of interbedded halite and anhydrite layers overlaying the Castile Formation. The waste includes, but is not limited to, the salts of citric acid and iron. To calculate the solution chemistry for brines of WIPP-relevance, WIPP Performance Assessment (PA) employs the Pitzer formulation to determine the activity coefficients of aqueous species in brine. The current WIPP thermodynamic database, however, does not include iron species and their Pitzer parameters, in spite of the fact that there will be a large amount of iron in the WIPP. Iron would be emplaced as part of the waste, as well as the containers for the waste. The objective of this analysis is to derive the Pitzer binary interaction parameters for the pair of Mg2+ and FeCitrate-. Briefly, an aqueous model for dissolution of Fe(OH)2(s) in MgNa2Citrate solution was fitted to the experimentally measured solubility data. The aqueous model consists of several chemical reactions and related Pitzer interaction parameters. Specifically, Pitzer binary interaction parameters for the Mg2+ and FeCitrate- pair (β(0), β(1), and Cφ) were fitted to the experimental data. Anoxic gloveboxes were used to keep the oxygen level low (less than 6 ppm) throughout the experiments. Aging time was more than 800 days to ensure equilibrium. EQ3NR packaged in EQ3/6 v.8.0a calculates the aqueous speciation and saturation index using an aqueous model addressed in EQ3/6's database. The saturation index indicates how far the system is from equilibrium with respect to the solid of interest. Thus, the smaller the sum of squared saturation indices that the aqueous model calculates for the given number of experiments, the more closely the model attributes equilibrium to each

Two-electron three-center bonding interactions in organic ions like methonium (CH{sub 5}{sup +}), ethonium (C{sub 2}H{sub 7}{sup +}), and protonated alkanes n−C{sub 4}H{sub 11}{sup +} isomers (butonium cations) are described and characterized within the theoretical framework of the topological analysis of the electron density decomposition into its effectively paired and unpaired contributions. These interactions manifest in some of this type of systems as a concentration of unpaired electron cloud around the bond paths, in contrast to the well known paradigmatic boron hydrids in which it is not only concentrated close to the atomic nucleus and the bond paths but out of them and over the region defined by the involved atoms as a whole. This result permits to propose an attempt of classification for these interactions based in such manifestations. In the first type, it is called as interactions through bonds and in the second type as interactions through space type.

We report radial velocity (RV) measurements of the G-type subgiants 24 Sextanis (= HD 90043) and HD 200964. Both are massive, evolved stars that exhibit periodic variations due to the presence of a pair of Jovian planets. Photometric monitoring with the T12 0.80 m APT at Fairborn Observatory demonstrates both stars to be constant in brightness to <=0.002 mag, thus strengthening the planetary interpretation of the RV variations. Based on our dynamical analysis of the RV time series, 24 Sex b, c have orbital periods of 452.8 days and 883.0 days, corresponding to semimajor axes 1.333 AU and 2.08 AU, and minimum masses 1.99 M Jup and 0.86 M Jup, assuming a stellar mass M sstarf= 1.54 M ⊙. HD 200964 b, c have orbital periods of 613.8 days and 825.0 days, corresponding to semimajor axes 1.601 AU and 1.95 AU, and minimum masses 1.99 M Jup and 0.90 M Jup, assuming M sstarf= 1.44 M ⊙. We also carry out dynamical simulations to properly account for gravitational interactions between the planets. Most, if not all, of the dynamically stable solutions include crossing orbits, suggesting that each system is locked in a mean-motion resonance that prevents close encounters and provides long-term stability. The planets in the 24 Sex system likely have a period ratio near 2:1, while the HD 200964 system is even more tightly packed with a period ratio close to 4:3. However, we caution that further RV observations and more detailed dynamical modeling will be required to provide definitive and unique orbital solutions for both cases, and to determine whether the two systems are truly resonant. Based on observations obtained at the Lick Observatory, which is operated by the University of California, and W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated jointly by the University of California and the California Institute of Technology.

Genomic imprinting is a form of epigenetic regulation in mammals in which the same allele of a gene is expressed differently depending on the parental origin of the allele. Traditionally, the detection of imprinted genes that affect complex diseases has been focused on linkage designs with pedigrees or case-parent designs with case-parent trios. In the past two decades, the birth cohort design with mother-offspring pairs has been applied to understand better the effect of environmental influences during pregnancy and beginning of life on the growth and development of children. No work has been done on the detection of imprinted genes using birth cohort designs. Moreover, although the importance of imprinting has been well recognized, no study has looked at how environmental exposures modify the effects of imprinted genes. In this study, we show that the proposed imprinting test using the birth cohort design with mother-offspring pairs is an efficient test for testing the interactions between imprinted genes and environmental exposures. Through extensive simulation studies and a real data application, the proposed imprinting test has demonstrated much improved power in detecting gene-environment interactions than that of a test assuming the Mendelian dominant model when the true underlying genetic model is imprinting. PMID:21778739

Over the past few years, pair coupled cluster doubles (pCCD) has shown promise for the description of strong correlation. This promise is related to its apparent ability to match results from doubly occupied configuration interaction (DOCI), even though the latter method has exponential computational cost. Here, by modifying the full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo algorithm to sample only the seniority zero sector of Hilbert space, we show that the DOCI and pCCD energies are in agreement for a variety of 2D Hubbard models, including for systems well out of reach for conventional configuration interaction algorithms. Our calculations are aided by the sign problem being much reduced in the seniority zero space compared with the full space. We present evidence for this and then discuss the sign problem in terms of the wave function of the system which appears to have a simplified sign structure. PMID:26957162

Over the past few years, pair coupled cluster doubles (pCCD) has shown promise for the description of strong correlation. This promise is related to its apparent ability to match results from doubly occupied configuration interaction (DOCI), even though the latter method has exponential computational cost. Here, by modifying the full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo algorithm to sample only the seniority zero sector of Hilbert space, we show that the DOCI and pCCD energies are in agreement for a variety of 2D Hubbard models, including for systems well out of reach for conventional configuration interaction algorithms. Our calculations are aided by the sign problem being much reduced in the seniority zero space compared with the full space. We present evidence for this and then discuss the sign problem in terms of the wave function of the system which appears to have a simplified sign structure.

High-throughput methods such as co-immunoprecipitationmass spectrometry (coIP-MS) and yeast 2 hybridization (Y2H) have suggested a broad range of unannotated protein-protein interactions (PPIs), and interpretation of these PPIs remains a challenging task. The advancements in cancer genomic researches allow for the inference of “coactivation pairs” in cancer, which may facilitate the identification of PPIs involved in cancer. Here we present OncoBinder as a tool for the assessment of proteomic interaction data based on the functional synergy of oncoproteins in cancer. This decision tree-based method combines gene mutation, copy number and mRNA expression information to infer the functional status of protein-coding genes. We applied OncoBinder to evaluate the potential binders of EGFR and ERK2 proteins based on the gastric cancer dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). As a result, OncoBinder identified high confidence interactions (annotated by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) or validated by low-throughput assays) more efficiently than co-expression based method. Taken together, our results suggest that evaluation of gene functional synergy in cancer may facilitate the interpretation of proteomic interaction data. The OncoBinder toolbox for Matlab is freely accessible online. PMID:26872056

Despite the popularity of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in foreign language (FL) education at elementary school, it remains unclear how young learners' FL abilities can best be evaluated with tasks. The present study seeks to understand developmental differences in interactions among elementary-school students during task-based language…

Background: Research has demonstrated that working collaboratively can have positive effects on children's learning. While key factors have been identified which influence the quality of these interactions, little research has addressed the influence of children's achievement goals on collaborative behaviour. Aims: This paper investigates the…

By its very nature the phenomenon of superconductivity is intimately connected to the electrodynamics properties of a material, both in the normal and in the superconducting state. Optical spectroscopy and electrical transport -corresponding to the zero-frequency limit of the optical response- provide for this reason sensitive tools probing the collective response of a superconducting material. Optical spectroscopy can provide the real and imaginary parts of the optical conductivity of an electron liquid for all frequencies from radiowaves through infrared and visible up to the ultraviolet and even X-ray frequencies. Theory of the optical response is particularly well developed, leading among others to a number of sumrules, providing powerful tools for confronting experiment and theoretical models of superconductingpairing. In this talk examples of sumrules will be discussed relating to the kinetic energy and the Coulomb energy of the paired electrons, and experimental data of addressing these two energies will be presented. The basic understanding of pair formation in the conventional (i.e. BCS) model of superconductivity is, that electrons form pairs as a result of an attractive interaction. On general grounds one than expects the interaction energy to become reduced when the electrons form pairs, while at the same their kinetic energy increases. Superconductivity is a stable state of matter provided that all contributions together result in a lowering of the total (interaction, kinetic plus other terms if relevant) lowering of energy. In this talk I will demonstrate that these two effects can be observed in the cuprate superconductors, that behave according to aforementioned trends for strongly overdoped cuprates, but that the observed effects have the opposite sign for underdoped and optimally doped cuprates. These observations compare favorably with published numerical calculations based on models of strong electron-electron correlation, not involving the

In conventional BCS superconductors, the quantum condensation of superconducting electron pairs is understood as a Fermi surface instability, in which the low-energy electrons are paired by attractive interactions. Whether this explanation is still valid in high-Tc superconductors such as cuprates and iron-based superconductors remains an open question. In particular, a fundamentally different picture of the electron pairs, which are believed to be formed locally by repulsive interactions, may prevail. Here we report a high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study on LiFe1-xCoxAs. We reveal a large and robust superconducting gap on a band sinking below the Fermi level on Co substitution. The observed Fermi-surface-free superconducting order is also the largest over the momentum space, which rules out a proximity effect origin and indicates that the order parameter is not tied to the Fermi surface as a result of a surface instability.

An essential step toward elucidating the mechanism of superconductivity is to determine the sign or phase of the superconducting order parameter, as it is closely related to the pairinginteraction. In conventional superconductors, the electron-phonon interaction induces attraction between electrons near the Fermi energy and results in a sign-preserved s-wave pairing. For high-temperature superconductors, including cuprates and iron-based superconductors, prevalent weak coupling theories suggest that the electron pairing is mediated by spin fluctuations which lead to repulsive interactions, and therefore that a sign-reversed pairing with an s_{±} or d-wave symmetry is favored. Here, by using magnetic neutron scattering, a phase sensitive probe of the superconducting gap, we report the observation of a transition from the sign-reversed to sign-preserved Cooper-pairing symmetry with insignificant changes in T_{c} in the S-doped iron selenide superconductors K_{x}Fe_{2-y}(Se_{1-z}S_{z})_{2}. We show that a rather sharp magnetic resonant mode well below the superconducting gap (2Δ) in the undoped sample (z=0) is replaced by a broad hump structure above 2Δ under 50% S doping. These results cannot be readily explained by simple spin fluctuation-exchange pairing theories and, therefore, multiple pairing channels are required to describe superconductivity in this system. Our findings may also yield a simple explanation for the sometimes contradictory data on the sign of the superconducting order parameter in iron-based materials. PMID:27232038

States of matter with a sharp Fermi surface but no well-defined Landau quasiparticles arise in a number of physical systems. Examples include (i) quantum critical points associated with the onset of order in metals; (ii) spinon Fermi-surface [U(1) spin-liquid] state of a Mott insulator; (iii) Halperin-Lee-Read composite fermion charge liquid state of a half-filled Landau level. In this work, we use renormalization group techniques to investigate possible instabilities of such non-Fermi liquids in two spatial dimensions to Cooper pairing. We consider the Ising-nematic quantum critical point as an example of an ordering phase transition in a metal, and demonstrate that the attractive interaction mediated by the order-parameter fluctuations always leads to a superconducting instability. Moreover, in the regime where our calculation is controlled, superconductivity preempts the destruction of electronic quasiparticles. On the other hand, the spinon Fermi surface and the Halperin-Lee-Read states are stable against Cooper pairing for a sufficiently weak attractive short-range interaction; however, once the strength of attraction exceeds a critical value, pairing sets in. We describe the ensuing quantum phase transition between (i) U(1 ) and Z2 spin-liquid states; (ii) Halperin-Lee-Read and Moore-Read states.

The purpose of this thesis is to explain the phenomenon of superconductivity in carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, fullerenes and carbon nanotubes. In the introductory chapter, there is a description of superconductivity and how it occurs at critical temperature (Tc) that is characteristic and different to every superconducting material. The discovery of superconductivity in mercury in 1911 by Dutch physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes is also mentioned. Different types of superconductors, type I and type II, low and high temperatures superconductors, as well as the BCS theory that was developed in 1957 by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer, are also described in detail. The BCS theory explains how Cooper's pairs are formed and how they are responsible for the superconducting properties of many materials. The following chapters explain superconductivity in doped fullerenes, graphene and carbon nanotubes, respectively. There is a thorough explanation followed by many examples of different types of carbon nanomaterials in which small changes in chemical structure cause significant changes in superconducting properties. The goal of this research was not only to take into consideration well known carbon based superconductors but also to search for the newest available materials such as the fullerene nanowhiskers discovered quite recently. There is also a presentation of fairly new ideas about inducing superconductivity in a monolayer of graphene which is more challenging than inducing superconductivity in graphite by simply intercalating metal atoms between its graphene sheets. An effort has been taken to look for any available information about carbon nanomaterials that have the potential to superconduct at room temperature, mainly because discovery of such materials would be a real revolution in the modern world, although no such materials have been discovered yet.

Paramagnetic effects are shown to result in the appearance of a triplet component of order parameter in vortex phases of d- and s-wave singlet superconductors in the absence of impurities. This component, which breaks both parity and spin-rotational symmetries of Cooper pairs, is expected to be of the order of unity in a number of modern superconductors such as high-Tc, organic, MgB2, and some others. A generic phase diagram of such type-IV superconductors [1], which are singlet ones at H=0 and in the Meissner phase and characterized by singlet-triplet mixed Copper pairs, δs+iδt, in a vortex phase, is suggested. [1] A.G. Lebed, Physical Review Letters, accepted (2006).

An open-shell extension of the pairinteraction energy decomposition analysis (PIEDA) within the framework of the fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method is developed. The open-shell PIEDA method allows the analysis of inter- and intramolecular interactions in terms of electrostatic, exchange-repulsion, charge-transfer, dispersion, and optional polarization energies for molecular systems with a radical or high-spin fragment. Taking into account the low computational cost and scalability of the FMO and PIEDA methods, the new scheme provides a means to characterize the stabilization of radical and open-shell sites in biologically relevant species. The open-shell PIEDA is applied to the characterization of intramolecular interactions in capped trialanine upon hydrogen abstraction (HA) at various sites on the peptide. Hydrogen abstraction reaction is the first step in the oxidative pathway initiated by reactive oxygen or nitrogen species, associated with oxidative stress. It is found that HA results in significant geometrical reorganization of the trialanine peptide. Depending on the HA site, terminal interactions in the radical fold conformers may become weaker or stronger compared to the parent molecule, and often change the character of the non-covalent bonding from amide stacking to hydrogen bonding.

Pollinators, such as bees, often develop multi-location routes (traplines) to exploit subsets of flower patches within larger plant populations. How individuals establish such foraging areas in the presence of other foragers is poorly explored. Here we investigated the foraging patterns of pairs of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) released sequentially into an 880m2 outdoor flight cage containing 10 feeding stations (artificial flowers). Using motion-sensitive video cameras mounted on flowers, we mapped the flower visitation networks of both foragers, quantified their interactions and compared their foraging success over an entire day. Overall, bees that were released first (residents) travelled 37% faster and collected 77% more nectar, thereby reaching a net energy intake rate 64% higher than bees released second (newcomers). However, this prior-experience advantage decreased as newcomers became familiar with the spatial configuration of the flower array. When both bees visited the same flower simultaneously, the most frequent outcome was for the resident to evict the newcomer. On the rare occasions when newcomers evicted residents, the two bees increased their frequency of return visits to that flower. These competitive interactions led to a significant (if only partial) spatial overlap between the foraging patterns of pairs of bees. While newcomers may initially use social cues (such as olfactory footprints) to exploit flowers used by residents, either because such cues indicate higher rewards and/or safety from predation, residents may attempt to preserve their monopoly over familiar resources through exploitation and interference. We discuss how these interactions may favour spatial partitioning, thereby maximising the foraging efficiency of individuals and colonies. PMID:26982030

Pollinators, such as bees, often develop multi-location routes (traplines) to exploit subsets of flower patches within larger plant populations. How individuals establish such foraging areas in the presence of other foragers is poorly explored. Here we investigated the foraging patterns of pairs of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) released sequentially into an 880m2 outdoor flight cage containing 10 feeding stations (artificial flowers). Using motion-sensitive video cameras mounted on flowers, we mapped the flower visitation networks of both foragers, quantified their interactions and compared their foraging success over an entire day. Overall, bees that were released first (residents) travelled 37% faster and collected 77% more nectar, thereby reaching a net energy intake rate 64% higher than bees released second (newcomers). However, this prior-experience advantage decreased as newcomers became familiar with the spatial configuration of the flower array. When both bees visited the same flower simultaneously, the most frequent outcome was for the resident to evict the newcomer. On the rare occasions when newcomers evicted residents, the two bees increased their frequency of return visits to that flower. These competitive interactions led to a significant (if only partial) spatial overlap between the foraging patterns of pairs of bees. While newcomers may initially use social cues (such as olfactory footprints) to exploit flowers used by residents, either because such cues indicate higher rewards and/or safety from predation, residents may attempt to preserve their monopoly over familiar resources through exploitation and interference. We discuss how these interactions may favour spatial partitioning, thereby maximising the foraging efficiency of individuals and colonies. PMID:26982030

We study the effects of the effective range of interaction on the eigenvalues and eigenstates of two particles confined in a three-dimensional (3D) isotropic as well as one- or quasi-one dimensional harmonic (1D) traps. For this we employ model potentials which mimic finite-range s-wave interactions over a wide range of s-wave scattering length a s including the unitarity limits {a}s\\to +/- ∞ . Our results show that when the range is larger than the 3D or 1D harmonic oscillator length scale, the eigenvalues and eigenstates are nearly similar to those of noninteracting two particles in the 3D or 1D trap, respectively. In case of 3D, we find that when the range goes to zero, the results of contact potential as derived by Busch et al (1998 Foundations of Physics 28 549) are reproduced. However, in the case of 1D, such reproducibility does not occur as the range goes to zero. We have calculated the eigenvalues and eigenstates in a 1D harmonic trap taking one dimensional finite-range model potential. We have also calculated the bound state properties of two particles confined in a highly anisotropic quasi-1D trap taking three-dimensional finite-range model potential, and examined whether these quasi-1D results approach towards 1D ones as the aspect ratio η of the radial to axial frequency of the trap increases. We find that if the range is very small compared to the axial size of the trap, then one can reach 1D regime for η ≥slant 10000. However, for a large range, one can almost get 1D results for smaller values of η. This study will be important for the exploration of two-body or many body physics of trapped ultracold atoms interacting with narrow Feshbach resonance for which the effective range can be large.

The results of a systematic investigation of trisradical tricationic complexes formed between cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) bisradical dicationic (CBPQT(2(•+))) rings and a series of 18 dumbbells, containing centrally located 4,4'-bipyridinium radical cationic (BIPY(•+)) units within oligomethylene chains terminated for the most part by charged 3,5-dimethylpyridinium (PY(+)) and/or neutral 3,5-dimethylphenyl (PH) groups, are reported. The complexes were obtained by treating equimolar amounts of the CBPQT(4+) ring and the dumbbells containing BIPY(2+) units with zinc dust in acetonitrile solutions. Whereas UV-Vis-NIR spectra revealed absorption bands centered on ca. 1100 nm with quite different intensities for the 1:1 complexes depending on the constitutions and charges on the dumbbells, titration experiments showed that the association constants (Ka) for complex formation vary over a wide range, from 800 M(-1) for the weakest to 180 000 M(-1) for the strongest. While Coulombic repulsions emanating from PY(+) groups located at the ends of some of the dumbbells undoubtedly contribute to the destabilization of the trisradical tricationic complexes, solid-state superstructures support the contention that those dumbbells with neutral PH groups at the ends of flexible and appropriately constituted links to the BIPY(•+) units stand to gain some additional stabilization from C-H···π interactions between the CBPQT(2(•+)) rings and the PH termini on the dumbbells. The findings reported in this Article demonstrate how structural changes implemented remotely from the BIPY(•+) units influence their non-covalent bonding interactions with CBPQT(2(•+)) rings. Different secondary effects (Coulombic repulsions versus C-H···π interactions) are uncovered, and their contributions to both binding strengths associated with trisradical interactions and the kinetics of associations and dissociations are discussed at some length, supported by extensive DFT

Paired immunoglobulin-like receptor (PILR) α is an inhibitory receptor that recognizes several ligands, including mouse CD99, PILR-associating neural protein, and Herpes simplex virus-1 glycoprotein B. The physiological function(s) of interactions between PILRα and its cellular ligands are not well understood, as are the molecular determinants of PILRα/ligand interactions. To address these uncertainties, we sought to identify additional PILRα ligands and further define the molecular basis for PILRα/ligand interactions. Here, we identify two novel PILRα binding partners, neuronal differentiation and proliferation factor-1 (NPDC1), and collectin-12 (COLEC12). We find that sialylated O-glycans on these novel PILRα ligands, and on known PILRα ligands, are compulsory for PILRα binding. Sialylation-dependent ligand recognition is also a property of SIGLEC1, a member of the sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectins. SIGLEC1 Ig domain shares ∼22% sequence identity with PILRα, an identity that includes a conserved arginine localized to position 97 in mouse and human SIGLEC1, position 133 in mouse PILRα and position 126 in human PILRα. We observe that PILRα/ligand interactions require conserved PILRα Arg-133 (mouse) and Arg-126 (human), in correspondence with a previously reported requirement for SIGLEC1 Arg-197 in SIGLEC1/ligand interactions. Homology modeling identifies striking similarities between PILRα and SIGLEC1 ligand binding pockets as well as at least one set of distinctive interactions in the galactoxyl-binding site. Binding studies suggest that PILRα recognizes a complex ligand domain involving both sialic acid and protein motif(s). Thus, PILRα is evolved to engage multiple ligands with common molecular determinants to modulate myeloid cell functions in anatomical settings where PILRα ligands are expressed. PMID:22396535

Paired immunoglobulin-like receptor (PILR) α is an inhibitory receptor that recognizes several ligands, including mouse CD99, PILR-associating neural protein, and Herpes simplex virus-1 glycoprotein B. The physiological function(s) of interactions between PILRα and its cellular ligands are not well understood, as are the molecular determinants of PILRα/ligand interactions. To address these uncertainties, we sought to identify additional PILRα ligands and further define the molecular basis for PILRα/ligand interactions. Here, we identify two novel PILRα binding partners, neuronal differentiation and proliferation factor-1 (NPDC1), and collectin-12 (COLEC12). We find that sialylated O-glycans on these novel PILRα ligands, and on known PILRα ligands, are compulsory for PILRα binding. Sialylation-dependent ligand recognition is also a property of SIGLEC1, a member of the sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectins. SIGLEC1 Ig domain shares ∼22% sequence identity with PILRα, an identity that includes a conserved arginine localized to position 97 in mouse and human SIGLEC1, position 133 in mouse PILRα and position 126 in human PILRα. We observe that PILRα/ligand interactions require conserved PILRα Arg-133 (mouse) and Arg-126 (human), in correspondence with a previously reported requirement for SIGLEC1 Arg-197 in SIGLEC1/ligand interactions. Homology modeling identifies striking similarities between PILRα and SIGLEC1 ligand binding pockets as well as at least one set of distinctive interactions in the galactoxyl-binding site. Binding studies suggest that PILRα recognizes a complex ligand domain involving both sialic acid and protein motif(s). Thus, PILRα is evolved to engage multiple ligands with common molecular determinants to modulate myeloid cell functions in anatomical settings where PILRα ligands are expressed. PMID:22396535

Total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM) monitors Brownian fluctuations in elevation as small as 1 nm by measuring the scattering of a single sphere illuminated by an evanescent wave when the sphere is levitated by colloidal forces such as electrostatic double-layer repulsion. From the Boltzmann distribution of elevations sampled by the sphere over time, the potential energy profile can be determined with a resolution of approximately 0.1 of the thermal energy kT. Thus, the interaction between a receptor-coated (goat, horse, or rabbit immunoglobulin G (IgG)) latex sphere and a protein A (SpA)-coated glass microscope slide was studied. A typical TIRM potential energy profile measured between a bare sphere and a bare glass plate, where the sphere fluctuates around the secondary potential energy minimum formed between double-layer repulsion and gravitational attraction, agrees well with DLVO theory. The interactions measured between IgG-coated spheres and SpA-coated slides, on the other hand, displayed a weaker repulsion compared with that observed between bare surfaces under the same conditions. Analysis of the results obtained between the coated surfaces suggests an additional attractive force. The decay length of this attraction correlates with the known dissociation constants for the binding of IgG with SpA in free solution. Images FIGURE 1 PMID:7669911

The drug, 8-Hydroxy-7-methoxy-pyrrolo-[2,1-c][1,4] benzodiazepine-5-one, commonly christened as DC81 belongs to the pyrrolo-[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine (PBDs) family. It is a member of the group of naturally occurring antitumour antibiotics produced by various Streptomyces species. The antitumour activity of DC81 is attributed to its sequence specific interaction with G-C rich DNA region in particular, for Pu-G-Pu motifs. In the present paper, physico-chemical properties DC81 have been carried out using an ab-initio method, HF/6-31G(d,p) with GAMESS program. MEP, HOMO and LUMO surfaces have been scanned. Ionization potential, electron affinity, electronegativity, global hardness and softness of the drug have been calculated. Further, drug-DNA interactions have been examined using modified second order perturbation theory along with multicentred-multipole expansion technique. Results have been discussed in the light of other theoretical and experimental observations. Efforts have been made to elucidate the binding patterns and thereby biological properties of the drug.

The three-dimensional structures of proteins are stabilized by the interactions between amino acid residues. Here we report a method where four distances are calculated between any two side chains to provide an exact spatial definition of their bonds. The data were binned into a four-dimensional grid and compared to a random model, from which the preference for specific four-distances was calculated. A clear relation between the quality of the experimental data and the tightness of the distance distribution was observed, with crystal structure data providing far tighter distance distributions than NMR data. Since the four-distance data have higher information content than classical bond descriptions, we were able to identify many unique inter-residue features not found previously in proteins. For example, we found that the side chains of Arg, Glu, Val and Leu are not symmetrical in respect to the interactions of their head groups. The described method may be developed into a function, which computationally models accurately protein structures. PMID:19680437

The Chaihu-Shaoyao drug pair (Bupleuri Radix and Paeoniae Radix Alba) which is a traditional Chinese drug pair, has been widely used for anti-inflammatory purposes. Saikosaponin a (SSA), saikosaponin d (SSD) and paeoniflorin are identified as the main components in the pair. The present study focused on the interaction of the main components based on investigating their intestinal absorption using a four-site perfused rat intestinal model in order to clarify the mechanism of the compatibility of Chaihu-Shaoyao. The concentrations of SSA, SSD and paeoniflorin in the intestinal perfusate were determined by LC/MS or UPLC (Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography) methods, followed by P*(eff) (effective permeability) and 10% ABS (the percent absorption of 10 cm of intestine) calculations. The results showed that all of the three main components displayed very low permeabilities (P*(eff) < 0.4), which implied their poor absorption in the rat intestine. The absorption levels of SSA and SSD were similar in intestine and higher in ileum than those in other intestinal regions in the decreasing order: colon, jejunum and duodenum. However, there is no significant difference in the absorption of paeoniflorin in the four segments (P < 0.05). The P*(eff) values of paeoniflorin exhibited an almost 2.11-fold or 1.90-fold increase in ileum when it was co-administrated with SSA and SSD, as well as 2.42-, 2.18-fold increase in colon, respectively, whereas the absorptions of SSA and SSD were not influenced by paeoniflorin. In conclusion, SSA and SSD could promote the absorption of paeoniflorin. To some extent this might explain the nature of the compatibility mechanisms of composite formulae in TCMs. PMID:22095024

Superconductivity and spin-orbit (SO) interaction have been two separate emerging fields until very recently that the correlation between them seemed to be observed. However, previous experiments concerning SO coupling are performed far beyond the superconducting state and thus a direct demonstration of how SO coupling affects superconductivity remains elusive. Here we investigate the SO coupling in the critical region of superconducting transition on Al nanofilms, in which the strength of disorder and spin relaxation by SO coupling are changed by varying the film thickness. At temperatures T sufficiently above the superconducting critical temperature Tc, clear signature of SO coupling reveals itself in showing a magneto-resistivity peak. When T < Tc, the resistivity peak can still be observed; however, its line-shape is now affected by the onset of the quasi two-dimensional superconductivity. By studying such magneto-resistivity peaks under different strength of spin relaxation, we highlight the important effects of SO interaction on superconductivity. PMID:24961726

The two main branches of bionanotechnology involve the self-assembly of either peptides or DNA. Peptide scaffolds offer chemical versatility, architectural flexibility and structural complexity, but they lack the precise base pairing and molecular recognition available with nucleic acid assemblies. Here, inspired by the ability of aromatic dipeptides to form ordered nanostructures with unique physical properties, we explore the assembly of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), which are short DNA mimics that have an amide backbone. All 16 combinations of the very short di-PNA building blocks were synthesized and assayed for their ability to self-associate. Only three guanine-containing di-PNAs—CG, GC and GG—could form ordered assemblies, as observed by electron microscopy, and these di-PNAs efficiently assembled into discrete architectures within a few minutes. The X-ray crystal structure of the GC di-PNA showed the occurrence of both stacking interactions and Watson-Crick base pairing. The assemblies were also found to exhibit optical properties including voltage-dependent electroluminescence and wide-range excitation-dependent fluorescence in the visible region.

We study nuclear effects in production of Drell-Yan pairs and direct photons in proton-nucleus collisions. For the first time, these effects are studied within the color dipole approach using the Green function formalism which naturally incorporates the color transparency and quantum coherence effects. The corresponding numerical results for the nuclear modification factor are compared with available data. Besides, we present a variety of predictions for the nuclear suppression as a function of transverse momentum pT, Feynman variable xF and invariant mass M of the lepton pair which can be verified by experiments at RHIC and LHC. We found that the nuclear suppression is caused predominantly by effects of quantum coherence (shadowing corrections) and by the effective energy loss induced by multiple initial state interactions. Whereas the former dominate at small Bjorken x2 in the target, the latter turns out to be significant at large x1 in the projectile beam and is universal at different energies and transverse momenta.

The coupling of two nonidentical magnetic nanodisks, i.e., with different vortex gyrotropic frequencies, is studied. From the analytical approach, the interactions between the nanodisks along x and y directions (the coupling integrals) were obtained as a function of distance. From the numerical solution of Thiele's equation, we derived the eigenfrequencies of the vortex cores as a function of distance. The motion of the two vortex cores and, consequently, the time dependence of the total magnetization M(t) were derived both using Thiele's equation and by micromagnetic simulation. From M(t), a recently developed method, the magnetic vortex echoes, analogous to the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spin echoes, was used to compute the distance dependence of the magnetic coupling strength. The results of the two approaches differ by approximately 10%; using one single term, a dependence with distance found is broadly in agreement with studies employing other techniques.

Nearly 50 years elapsed between the discovery of superconductivity and the emergence of the microscopic theory describing this zero resistance state. The explanation required a novel phase of matter in which conduction electrons joined in weakly bound pairs and condensed with other pairs into a single quantum state. Surprisingly, this Cooper pair formation has also been invoked to account for recently uncovered high-resistance or insulating phases of matter. To address this possibility, we have used nanotechnology to create an insulating system that we can probe directly for Cooper pairs. I will present the evidence that Cooper pairs exist and dominate the electrical transport in these insulators and I will discuss how these findings provide new insight into superconductor to insulator quantum phase transitions.

We extend the self-consistent pair contact probability method to the evaluation of the partition function for a protein complex at thermodynamic equilibrium. Specifically, we adapt the method for multichain models and introduce a parametrization for amino acid-specific pairwise interactions. This method is similar to the Gaussian network model but allows for the adjusting of the strengths of native state contacts. The method is first validated on a high resolution x-ray crystal structure of bovine Pancreatic Phospholipase A2 by comparing calculated B-factors with reported values. We then examine binding-induced changes in flexibility in protein-protein complexes, comparing computed results with those obtained from x-ray crystal structures and molecular dynamics simulations. In particular, we focus on the mouse acetylcholinesterase:fasciculin II and the human α-thrombin:thrombomodulin complexes.

We study the effects of Majorana modes and interactions between electrons on transport in a one-dimensional system with a junction of three p-wave superconductors (SCs) which are connected to normal metal leads. For sufficiently long SCs, there are zero energy Majorana modes at the junctions between the SCs and the leads, and, depending on the signs of the p-wave pairings in the three SCs, there can also be one or three Majorana modes at the junction of the three SCs. We show that the various sub-gap conductances have peaks occurring at the energies of all these modes; we therefore get a rich pattern of conductance peaks. Next, we use a renormalization group approach to study the scattering matrix of the system at energies far from the SC gap. The fixed points of the renormalization group flows and their stabilities are studied; we find that the scattering matrix at the stable fixed point is highly symmetric even when the microscopic scattering matrix and the interaction strengths are not symmetric. We discuss the implications of this for the conductances. Finally we propose an experimental realization of this system which can produce different signs of the p-wave pairings in the different SCs.

In the traditional Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and −k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. Here we report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. In contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin–fluctuation pairinginteraction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability. PMID:27312569

In the traditional Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer theory of superconductivity, the amplitude for the propagation of a pair of electrons with momentum k and -k has a log singularity as the temperature decreases. This so-called Cooper instability arises from the presence of an electron Fermi sea. It means that an attractive interaction, no matter how weak, will eventually lead to a pairing instability. However, in the pseudogap regime of the cuprate superconductors, where parts of the Fermi surface are destroyed, this log singularity is suppressed, raising the question of how pairing occurs in the absence of a Fermi sea. In this paper, wemore » report Hubbard model numerical results and the analysis of angular-resolved photoemission experiments on a cuprate superconductor. Finally, in contrast to the traditional theory, we find that in the pseudogap regime the pairing instability arises from an increase in the strength of the spin–fluctuation pairinginteraction as the temperature decreases rather than the Cooper log instability.« less

Although it is well known that magnetism influences superconductivity, the converse issue has been less well explored. Recent theoretical predictions for ferromagnetic/ superconducting/ ferromagnetic trilayers exhibiting interlayer magnetic coupling in the normal state indicate that the coupling should be suppressed below the superconducting transition temperature.(C.A. R. Sá de Melo, Phys. Rev. Lett. 79), 1933 (1997); O. Sipr, B.L. Györffy, J. Phys. Cond. Matt. 7, 5239 (1995). To realize such a situation, a requirement (when the magnetic layers are thick) is that the superconducting layer thickness must simultaneously be less than the range over which the magnetic interlayer coupling decays, but greater than the superconducting coherence length. This introduces serious materials constraints. The present work describes initial explorations of three sputtered multilayer systems in an attempt to observe coupling of the ferromagnetic layers across a superconducting spacer:((a) J.E. Mattson, R.M. Osgood III, C.D. Potter, C.H. Sowers, and S.D. Bader, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 15), 1774 (1997); (b) J.E. Mattson, C.D. Potter, M.J. Conover, C.H. Sowers, and S.D. Bader, Phys. Rev. B 55, 70 (1997), and (c) R.M. Osgood III, J.E. Pearson, C.H. Sowers, and S.D. Bader, submitted (1997). (a) Ni/Nb, (b) Fe_4N/NbN, and (c) GdN/NbN. In these systems we have retained thinner superconducting layers than had been achieved previously, but interlayer magnetic coupling is not observed even in the normal state. For Ni/Nb the interfacial Ni loses its moment, which also reduces the superconductingpair-breaking. GdN is an insulating ferromagnet, so itinerancy is sacrificed, and, probably as a result of this, no coupling is observed. Each system gives rise to interesting and anisotropic superconducting properties. Thus, although the goal remains elusive, our search highlights the challenges and opportunities.

It was claimed(1. R. C. Dynes et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 57), 2195 (1986). that the Eliashberg theory breaks down for two-dimensional superconductivity in weakly disordered systems. From tunneling measurements on Pb films, both the electron-phonon interaction λ and the Coulomb pseudopotential μ^* were suggested to decrease by disordering. In this problem, it was previously noted that the Dyson expansion of Green's function in the presence of impurities is inappropriate.(2. Y.-J. Kim and A. W. Overhauser, Phys. Rev. B47), 8025 (1993). Alternatively, employing time-reversed scattered-state pairs, we note that the phonon-mediated coupling parameter λ is decreased by weak localization. With solving both the BCS and Eliashberg gap equations, we find good agreements between our calculations and existing experimental data. We also discuss the weak localization effect on superconductivity in one- and three-dimensional systems.

Model calculations are used to explore the role of demons (acoustic plasmons involving light and heavy mass carriers) in superconductivity. Heavy d electrons and light s and p electrons in a transition metal are used for discussion, but the calculation presented is more general, and the results can be applied to other systems. The analysis is based on the dielectric-function approach and the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory. The dielectric function includes intraband and interband s-d scattering, and a tight-binding model is used to examine the role of s-d hybridization. The demon contribution generally reduces the Coulomb interaction between the electrons. Under suitable conditions, the model calculations indicate that the electron-electron interaction via demons can be attractive, but the results also suggest that this mechanism is probably not dominant in transition metals and transition-metal compounds. An attractive interband contribution is found, and it is proposed that this effect may lead to pairing in suitable systems.

We theoretically consider the superconductivity of the topological half-Heusler semimetals YPtBi and LuPtBi. We show that pairing occurs between j=3/2 fermion states, which leads to qualitative differences from the conventional theory of pairing between j=1/2 states. In particular, this permits Cooper pairs with quintet or septet total angular momentum, in addition to the usual singlet and triplet states. Purely on-site interactions can generate s-wave quintet time-reversal symmetry-breaking states with topologically nontrivial point or line nodes. These local s-wave quintet pairs reveal themselves as d-wave states in momentum space. Furthermore, due to the broken inversion symmetry in these materials, the s-wave singlet state can mix with a p-wave septet state, again with topologically stable line nodes. Our analysis lays the foundation for understanding the unconventional superconductivity of the half-Heuslers. PMID:27176533

We theoretically consider the superconductivity of the topological half-Heusler semimetals YPtBi and LuPtBi. We show that pairing occurs between j =3 /2 fermion states, which leads to qualitative differences from the conventional theory of pairing between j =1 /2 states. In particular, this permits Cooper pairs with quintet or septet total angular momentum, in addition to the usual singlet and triplet states. Purely on-site interactions can generate s -wave quintet time-reversal symmetry-breaking states with topologically nontrivial point or line nodes. These local s -wave quintet pairs reveal themselves as d -wave states in momentum space. Furthermore, due to the broken inversion symmetry in these materials, the s -wave singlet state can mix with a p -wave septet state, again with topologically stable line nodes. Our analysis lays the foundation for understanding the unconventional superconductivity of the half-Heuslers.

Most of the worldwide carbonatites occur in spatial association with silicate rocks. Even when unquestionable evidence for the associated carbonatite and silicate rocks to represent contemporaneous liquids exists, the modes of interaction between the two liquids can be difficult to infer. In general, the retrieval of information about the mechanisms of interaction between magmas can be complicated by the intrinsic dynamical nature of such systems. The development of new physico-chemical equilibria (e.g. hybridization) can erase any information about the previous stages of interaction. However, the occurrence of magmatic heterogeneities, such as enclaves and flow bands, as well as mineral disequilibrium textures, may serve as dynamic markers for the underlying interaction processes. Small-scale heterogeneities, in the form of micron to millimetre sized globules, characterized by more or less smooth interfaces, are frequently observed in carbonatite-silicate pairs. Textural observation, as well as the lack of suitable mechanisms for the dispersion of a discrete magmatic liquid in the form of a small-scale emulsion, have lead many petrologists to advocate immiscible separation as the process capable of forming such textures. However, the geochemical criteria for liquid immiscibility are not always met, and when not coupled with geochemical and dynamical arguments, textural observation may lead to ambiguous conclusions. In this study we adopted an integrated approach in order to infer the details of magmatic interaction of a carbonatite-silicate pair from Massif Central (France). The studied samples display emulsion-like textures, formed by micro-scale dolomitic globules dispersed in a trachytic glassy matrix. Our approach is based on a novel numerical method, coupled with textural observation and geochemical analyses. The novelty of our numerical model consists in the inclusion, in the adopted advection-diffusion equations, of a term that takes into account the effect

In the generic phase diagram of heavy fermion systems, tuning an external parameter such as hydrostatic or chemical pressure modifies the superconducting transition temperature. The superconducting phase forms a dome in the temperature-tuning parameter phase diagram, which is associated with a maximum of the superconductingpairinginteraction. Proximity to antiferromagnetism suggests a relation between the disappearance of antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity. We combine muon spin rotation, neutron scattering, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques to gain access to the magnetic and electronic structure of CeCo(In(1-x)Cdx)5 at different time scales. Different magnetic structures are obtained that indicate a magnetic order of itinerant character, coexisting with bulk superconductivity. The suppression of the antiferromagnetic order appears to be driven by a modification of the bandwidth/carrier concentration, implying that the electronic structure and consequently the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism is strongly affected by hydrostatic and chemical pressure. PMID:26224422

In the generic phase diagram of heavy fermion systems, tuning an external parameter such as hydrostatic or chemical pressure modifies the superconducting transition temperature. The superconducting phase forms a dome in the temperature—tuning parameter phase diagram, which is associated with a maximum of the superconductingpairinginteraction. Proximity to antiferromagnetism suggests a relation between the disappearance of antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity. We combine muon spin rotation, neutron scattering, and x-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques to gain access to the magnetic and electronic structure of CeCo(In1−xCdx)5 at different time scales. Different magnetic structures are obtained that indicate a magnetic order of itinerant character, coexisting with bulk superconductivity. The suppression of the antiferromagnetic order appears to be driven by a modification of the bandwidth/carrier concentration, implying that the electronic structure and consequently the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism is strongly affected by hydrostatic and chemical pressure. PMID:26224422

We consider an electron-phonon Hamiltonian in which the electron-phonon interaction occurs through a modification of both the electron on-site energy and the intersite hopping amplitude, i.e., a combination of Holstein and Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH)-like models. It is suggested that this model may apply to certain vibrational degrees of freedom in high-[ital T][sub [ital c

The nonlinear interaction between a pair of symmetric, oblique, and spatial instability modes is studied in the long-wave limit using asymptotic methods. The base flow is taken to be a supersonic mixing layer whose Mach number is such that the corresponding vortex sheet is marginally stable according to Miles' criterion. It is shown that the amplitude of the mode obeys a nonlinear integro-differential equation. Numerical solutions of this equation show that, when the obliqueness angle is less than pi/4, the effect of the nonlinearity is to enhance the growth rate of the instability. The solution terminates in a singularity at a finite streamwise location. This result is reminiscent of that obtained in the vicinity of the neutral point by other authors in several different types of flows. On the other hand, when the obliqueness angle is more than pi/4, the streamwise development of the amplitude is characterized by a series of modulations. This arises from the fact that the nonlinear term in the amplitude equation may be either stabilizing or destabilizing, depending on the value of the streamwise coordinate. However, even in this case the amplitude of the disturbance increases, though not as rapidly as in the case for which the angle is less than pi/4. Quite generally then, the nonlinear interaction between two oblique modes in a supersonic mixing layer enhances the growth of the disturbance.

JmjC domain containing protein 14 (JMJ14) is an H3K4-specific histone demethylase that plays important roles in RNA-mediated gene silencing and flowering time regulation in Arabidopsis. However, how JMJ14 is recruited to its target genes remains unclear. Here, we show that the C-terminal FYRN and FYRC domains of JMJ14 are required for RNA silencing and flowering time regulation. Chromatin binding of JMJ14 is lost upon deletion of its FYRN and FYRC domains, and H3K4me3 is increased. FYRN and FYRC domains interact with a pair of NAC domain containing transcription factors, NAC050 and NAC052. Genome-wide ChIP analysis revealed that JMJ14 and NAC050/052 share a set of common target genes with CTTGNNNNNCAAG consensus sequences. Mutations in either NAC052 or NAC050 impair RNA-mediated gene silencing. Together, our findings demonstrate an important role of FYRN and FYRC domains in targeting JMJ14 through direct interaction with NAC050/052 proteins, which reveals a novel mechanism of histone demethylase recruitment. PMID:26617990

It is shown that many synthetic metals, including high temperature superconductors are ``bad metals``, with such a poor conductivity that the usual meanfield theory of superconductivity breaks down because of anomalously large classical and quantum fluctuations of the phase of the superconducting order parameter. It is argued that the supression of a first order phase transition (phase separation) by the long-range Coulomb interaction leads to high temperature superconductivity accompanied by static or dynamical charge inhomogeneIty. Evidence in support of this picture for high temperature superconductors is described.

A rapid procedure based on a direct extraction and HPLC determination with fluorescence detection of phenylephrine in pharmaceutical sachets that include a large excess of paracetamol (65 + 1, w/w), ascorbic acid (5 + 1, w/w), and other excipients (aspartame and sucrose) was developed and validated. The final optimized chromatographic method for ion-pair chromatography used an XTerra RP18 column, 3 microm particle size, 50 x 3.0 mm id. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetonitrile and buffer (10 mM sodium octane-1-sulfonate, adjusted with H3PO4 to pH 2.2; 200 + 800, v/v), with a constant flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The separation was carried out at 30 degrees C, and the injection volume was 3 microL. Fluorescence detection was performed at excitation and emission wavelengths of 275 and 310 nm, respectively. The mobile phase parameters, such as the organic solvent fraction (acetonitrile) in mobile phase as an organic modifier, the concentration of sodium octane-1-sulfonate as a counter-ion, temperature, and pH of mobile phase, were studied. As an alternative to ion-pair chromatography, hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) was investigated using a Luna HILIC column, 3 microm, 100 x 4.6 mm id. The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and buffer (5 mM potassium dihydrogen phosphate, adjusted with H3PO4 to pH 2.5; 750 + 250, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The separation was carried out at 25 degrees C, and the injection volume was 5 microL. The proposed method has an advantage of a very simple sample pretreatment, and is much faster than the currently utilized HPLC methods using gradient elution and UV detection. Commercial samples of sachets were successfully analyzed by the proposed HPLC method. PMID:21140654

Using the Density Matrix Renormalization Group technique, we extensively study a three-orbital Hubbard model in one dimension without pair hopping and spin-flip Hund interactions. The phase diagram varying the electronic density n and Hubbard U is constructed and compared against previous results obtained using the full interaction Hamiltonian. Our results suggest that spin-flip and pair hopping terms are not crucially important to address the orbital-selective Mott phase. This analysis paves the way to study multiorbital Hubbard models using techniques such as the Constrained-Path Quantum Monte Carlo (CPQMC) and Determinant Quantum Monte Carlo (DQMC) methods since they perform better, reducing for instance the severity of the ``sign problem'', in the absence of pair hopping and spin flip terms in the interaction.

A historical survey of the main normal and superconducting state properties of several semiconductors doped into superconductivity is proposed. This class of materials includes selenides, tellurides, oxides and column-IV semiconductors. Most of the experimental data point to a weak coupling pairing mechanism, probably phonon-mediated in the case of diamond, but probably not in the case of strontium titanate, these being the most intensively studied materials over the last decade. Despite promising theoretical predictions based on a conventional mechanism, the occurrence of critical temperatures significantly higher than 10 K has not been yet verified. However, the class provides an enticing playground for testing theories and devices alike.

The effect of spin-polarized quasiparticle currents on the critical current density (J-c) of cuprate superconductors is studied in perovskite F-I-S heterostructures as a function of insulator thickness and of underlying magnetic materials. A pulsed current technique is employed to minimize extraneous Joule heating on the superconductor. At temperatures near T-c, F-I-S samples with insulator thicknesses\\1e2nm show precipitous decrease in J_c as current injection (I_m) is increased. In contrast, J_c in a controlled sample with a substituted non-magnetic material (N-I-S) exhibit no dependence on I_m. Similarly, a F-I-S sample with a 10 mn insulating barrier also show little J_c effect versus I_m. At low temperatures with I_m = 0, significant suppression of J-c is observed only in the thin barrier F-I-S samples, although T_c and the normal-state resistivity of all samples are comparable. These phenomena can be attributed to the Cooper pair breaking induced by externally-injected and internally-reflected spin-polarized quasiparticle currents. We estimate an order of magnitude range for the spin diffusion length of 100 nm to 100\\ mum.

Recently proposed injector accelerator, Low Energy Ring (LER) for the LHC and fast cycling accelerators for the proton drivers (SF-SPS at CERN and DSF-MR at Fermilab) require that a new magnet technology be developed. In support of this accelerator program, a pair of power leads needs to be developed to close the loop between the power supply and accelerator system. The magnet proposed to be used will be a modified transmission line magnet technology that would allow for accelerator quality magnetic field sweep of 2 T/s. The transmission line conductor will be using HTS technology and cooled with supercritical helium at 5 K. The power leads consist of two sections; upper one is a copper and lower section will be using HTS tapes. The accelerator magnet will be ramped to 100 kA in a second and almost immediately ramped down to zero in one second. This paper outlines the design considerations for the power leads to meet the operational requirements for the accelerator system. The power leads thermal analysis during the magnet powering cycle will be included.

A superconductive article is made by inserting a rigid mandrel into an internal cavity of a first metallic tube, said tube having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said interior surface defining the interior cavity, forming a layer of a superconductive material or superconductive precursor upon the exterior surface of said first metallic tube, machining the layer of superconductive material or superconductive precursor to a predetermined diameter to form an intermediate article configured for insertion into a second metallic tube having an interior diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter, inserting the machined intermediate article into a second metallic tube having an internal diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter of the intermediate article to form a composite intermediate article, reducing or ironing the composite intermediate article to a predetermined cross-sectional diameter, and sintering the reduced or ironed composite intermediate article at temperatures and for time sufficient for the superconductive material or superconductive precursor to exhibit superconductivity.

A superconductive article is made by inserting a rigid mandrel into an internal cavity of a first metallic tube, said tube having an interior surface and an exterior surface, said interior surface defining the interior cavity, forming a layer of a superconductive material or superconductive precursor upon the exterior surface of said first metallic tube, machining the layer of superconductive material or superconductive precursor to a predetermined diameter to form an intermediate article configured for insertion into a second metallic tube having an interior diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter, inserting the machined intermediate article into a second metallic tube having an internal diameter corresponding to the predetermined diameter of the intermediate article to form a composite intermediate article, reducing or ironing the composite intermediate article to a predetermined cross-sectional diameter, and sintering the reduced or ironed composite intermediate article at temperatures and for time sufficient for the superconductive material or superconductive precursor to exhibit superconductivity. 2 figs.

A major bottleneck in classical atomistic simulations of biomolecular systems is the calculation of the pair wise nonbonded (Coulomb, van der Waals) interactions. This remains an issue even when methods are used (e.g., lattice summation or spherical cutoffs) in which the number of interactions is reduced from O(N(2)) to O(NlogN) or O(N). The interaction forces and energies can either be calculated directly each time they are needed or retrieved using precomputed values in a lookup table; the choice between direct calculation and table lookup methods depends on the characteristics of the system studied (total number of particles and the number of particle kinds) as well as the hardware used (CPU speed, size and speed of cache, and main memory). A recently developed lookup table code, implemented in portable and easily maintained FORTRAN 95 in the CHARMM program (www.charmm.org), achieves a 1.5- to 2-fold speedup compared with standard calculations using highly optimized FORTRAN code in real molecular dynamics simulations for a wide range of molecular system sizes. No approximations other than the finite resolution of the tables are introduced, and linear interpolation in a table with the relatively modest density of 100 points/A(2) yields the same accuracy as the standard double precision calculations. For proteins in explicit water a less dense table (10 points/A(2)) is 10-20% faster than using the larger table, and only slightly less accurate. The lookup table is even faster than hand coded assembler routines in most cases, mainly due to a significantly smaller operation count inside the inner loop. PMID:19072764

Superconducting order and magnetic impurities are usually detrimental to each other. We show, however, that in nanoscopic objects the induced electron pairing can have constructive influence on the Kondo effect originating from the effective screening interactions. Such situation is possible at low temperatures in the quantum dots placed between the conducting and superconducting reservoirs, where the proximity induced electron pairing cooperates with the correlations amplifying the spin-exchange potential. The emerging Abrikosov-Suhl resonance, which is observable in the Andreev conductance, can be significantly enhanced by increasing the coupling to superconducting lead. We explain this intriguing tendency within the Anderson impurity model using: the generalized Schrieffer-Wolff canonical transformation, the second order perturbative treatment of the Coulomb repulsion, and the nonperturbative numerical renormalization group calculations. We also provide hints for experimental observability of this phenomenon.

Superconducting order and magnetic impurities are usually detrimental to each other. We show, however, that in nanoscopic objects the induced electron pairing can have constructive influence on the Kondo effect originating from the effective screening interactions. Such situation is possible at low temperatures in the quantum dots placed between the conducting and superconducting reservoirs, where the proximity induced electron pairing cooperates with the correlations amplifying the spin-exchange potential. The emerging Abrikosov-Suhl resonance, which is observable in the Andreev conductance, can be significantly enhanced by increasing the coupling to superconducting lead. We explain this intriguing tendency within the Anderson impurity model using: the generalized Schrieffer-Wolff canonical transformation, the second order perturbative treatment of the Coulomb repulsion, and the nonperturbative numerical renormalization group calculations. We also provide hints for experimental observability of this phenomenon. PMID:27009681

Superconducting order and magnetic impurities are usually detrimental to each other. We show, however, that in nanoscopic objects the induced electron pairing can have constructive influence on the Kondo effect originating from the effective screening interactions. Such situation is possible at low temperatures in the quantum dots placed between the conducting and superconducting reservoirs, where the proximity induced electron pairing cooperates with the correlations amplifying the spin-exchange potential. The emerging Abrikosov-Suhl resonance, which is observable in the Andreev conductance, can be significantly enhanced by increasing the coupling to superconducting lead. We explain this intriguing tendency within the Anderson impurity model using: the generalized Schrieffer-Wolff canonical transformation, the second order perturbative treatment of the Coulomb repulsion, and the nonperturbative numerical renormalization group calculations. We also provide hints for experimental observability of this phenomenon. PMID:27009681

A superconducting transistor is formed by disposing three thin films of superconducting material in a planar parallel arrangement and insulating the films from each other by layers of insulating oxides to form two tunnel junctions. One junction is biased above twice the superconducting energy gap and the other is biased at less than twice the superconducting energy gap. Injection of quasiparticles into the center film by one junction provides a current gain in the second junction.

We review several experimental and theoretical advances that emphasize common aspects of the study of spin-singlet, T = 1, and spin-triplet, T = 0, pairing correlations in nuclei. We first discuss various empirical evidence of the special role played by the T = 1 pairinginteraction. In particular, we show the peculiar features of the nuclear pairinginteraction in the low-density regime, and possible outcomes such as the BCS–BEC crossover in nuclear matter and, in an analogous way, in loosely bound nuclei. We then move to the competition between T = 1 and T = 0 pairing correlations. The effect of such competition on the low-lying spectra is studied in N = Z odd-odd nuclei by using a three-body model; in this case, it is shown that the inversion of the {J}π ={0}+ and {J}π ={1}+ states near the ground state, and the strong magnetic dipole transitions between them, can be considered as a clear manifestation of strong T = 0 pairing correlations in these nuclei. The effect of T = 0 pairing correlations is also quite evident if one studies charge-changing transitions. The Gamow–Teller (GT) states in N=Z+2 nuclei are studied here by using self-consistent Hartree–Fock–Bogoliubov (HFB) plus quasiparticle random-phase approximation calculations in which the T = 0 pairinginteraction is taken into account. Strong GT states are found, near the ground state of daughter nuclei; these are compared with available experimental data from charge-exchange reactions, and such comparison can pinpoint the value of the strength of the T = 0 interaction. Pair transfer reactions are eventually discussed. While two-neutron transfer has long been proposed as a tool to measure the T = 1 superfluidity in the nuclear ground states, the study of deuteron transfer is still in its infancy, despite its potential interest for revealing effects coming from both T = 1 and T = 0 interactions. We also point out that the reaction mechanism may mask the strong pair transfer amplitudes predicted

A method is proposed for describing a moving film vortex structure and its interaction with surface acoustic waves. It is shown that the moving vortex structure can amplify (generate) surface acoustic waves. In contrast to a similar effect in semiconductor films, this effect can appear when the velocity of the vortex structure is much lower than the velocity of the surface acoustic waves. A unidirectional collective mode is shown to exist in the moving vortex structure. This mode gives rise to an acoustic analogue of the diode effect that is resonant in the velocity of the vortex structure. This acoustic effect is manifested as an anomalous attenuation of the surface acoustic waves in the direction of the vortex-structure motion and as the absence of this attenuation for the propagation in the opposite direction.

The U.S. DOE Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a deep underground repository for the permanent disposal of transuranic (TRU) radioactive waste. The WIPP is located in the Permian Delaware Basin near Carlsbad, New Mexico, U.S.A. The TRU waste includes, but is not limited to, iron-based alloys and the complexing agent, citric acid. Iron is also present from the steel used in the waste containers. The objective of this analysis is to derive the Pitzer activity coefficients for the pair of Na+ and FeCit- complex to expand current WIPP thermodynamic database. An aqueous model for the dissolution of Fe(OH)2(s) in a Na3Cit solution was fitted to the experimentally measured solubility data. The aqueous model consists of several chemical reactions and related Pitzer interaction parameters. Specifically, Pitzer interaction parameters for the Na+ and FeCit- pair (β(0), β(1), and Cφ) plus the stability constant for species of FeCit- were fitted to the experimental data. Anoxic gloveboxes were used to keep the oxygen level low (<1 ppm) throughout the experiments due to redox sensitivity. EQ3NR, a computer program for geochemical aqueous speciation-solubility calculations, packaged in EQ3/6 v.8.0a, calculates the aqueous speciation and saturation index using an aqueous model addressed in EQ3/6's database. The saturation index indicates how far the system is from equilibrium with respect to the solid of interest. Thus, the smaller the sum of squared saturation indices that the aqueous model calculates for the given number of experiments, the more closely the model attributes equilibrium to each individual experiment with respect to the solid of interest. The calculation of aqueous speciation and saturation indices was repeated by adjusting stability constant of FeCit-, β(0), β(1), and Cφ in the database until the values are found that make the sum of squared saturation indices the smallest for the given number of experiments. Results will be presented at the time of

We study the electrostatic pairinteraction between two nonuniformly like-charged colloidal spheres trapped in an air-water interface. Under the linear Poisson-Boltzmann approximation, a general form of the electrostatic potential for the system is shown in terms of multipole expansions. After combining the translation-rotation transform of the coordinates with the numerical multipoint collection, we give a semi-analytical result of the electrostatic pairinteraction between the colloids. The pairinteraction changes quantitatively or even qualitatively with different distributions of the surface charges on the particles. Because of the anisotropic distribution of the surface charge and the asymmetric dielectric medium, the dipole moment of the ion cloud associating with the particle orients diagonally to the air-water interface with an angle α. When the angle is large, the colloids interact repulsively, while they attract each other when the angle is small. The attractive colloids may be "Janus-like" charged and be arranged with some specific configurations. Whatever the repulsions or the attractions, they all decay asymptotically ∝1/d3 (d is the center-center distance of the particles) which is consistent with our general acknowledge. The calculation results also provide an insight of the effect of the ion concentration, particle size, and the total charge of the particle on the pairinteraction between the particles.

We study the electrostatic pairinteraction between two nonuniformly like-charged colloidal spheres trapped in an air-water interface. Under the linear Poisson-Boltzmann approximation, a general form of the electrostatic potential for the system is shown in terms of multipole expansions. After combining the translation-rotation transform of the coordinates with the numerical multipoint collection, we give a semi-analytical result of the electrostatic pairinteraction between the colloids. The pairinteraction changes quantitatively or even qualitatively with different distributions of the surface charges on the particles. Because of the anisotropic distribution of the surface charge and the asymmetric dielectric medium, the dipole moment of the ion cloud associating with the particle orients diagonally to the air-water interface with an angle α. When the angle is large, the colloids interact repulsively, while they attract each other when the angle is small. The attractive colloids may be "Janus-like" charged and be arranged with some specific configurations. Whatever the repulsions or the attractions, they all decay asymptotically ∝1/d(3) (d is the center-center distance of the particles) which is consistent with our general acknowledge. The calculation results also provide an insight of the effect of the ion concentration, particle size, and the total charge of the particle on the pairinteraction between the particles. PMID:27394119

Former results for a tight-binding (TB) model of CuO planes in La2CuO4 are reinterpreted here to underline their wider implications. It is noted that physical systems being appropriately described by the TB model can exhibit the main strongly correlated electron system (SCES) properties, when they are solved in the HF approximation, by also allowing crystal symmetry breaking effects and noncollinear spin orientations of the HF orbitals. It is argued how a simple 2D square lattice system of Coulomb interacting electrons can exhibit insulator gaps and pseudogap states, and quantum phase transitions as illustrated by the mentioned former works. A discussion is also presented here indicating the possibility of attaining room temperature superconductivity, by means of a surface coating with water molecules of cleaved planes of graphite, being orthogonal to its c-axis. The possibility that 2D arrays of quantum dots can give rise to the same effect is also proposed to consideration. The analysis also furnishes theoretical insight to solve the Mott-Slater debate, at least for the La2CuO4 and TMO band structures. The idea is to apply a properly noncollinear GW scheme to the electronic structure calculation of these materials. The fact is that the GW approach can be viewed as a HF procedure in which the screening polarization is also determined. This directly indicates the possibility of predicting the assumed dielectric constant in the previous works. Thus, the results seem to identify that the main correlation properties in these materials are determined by screening. Finally, the conclusions also seem to be of help for the description of the experimental observations of metal-insulator transitions and Mott properties in atoms trapped in planar photonic lattices.

Multiorbital Hubbard models are shown to exhibit a spatially isotropic spin-triplet superconducting phase, where equal-spin electrons in different local orbitals are paired. This superconducting state is stabilized in the spin-freezing crossover regime, where local moments emerge in the metal phase, and the pairing is substantially assisted by spin anisotropy. The phase diagram features a superconducting dome below a non-Fermi-liquid metallic region and next to a magnetically ordered phase. We suggest that this type of fluctuating-moment-induced superconductivity, which is not originating from fluctuations near a quantum critical point, may be realized in spin-triplet superconductors such as strontium ruthenates and uranium compounds. PMID:26705649

Multiorbital Hubbard models are shown to exhibit a spatially isotropic spin-triplet superconducting phase, where equal-spin electrons in different local orbitals are paired. This superconducting state is stabilized in the spin-freezing crossover regime, where local moments emerge in the metal phase, and the pairing is substantially assisted by spin anisotropy. The phase diagram features a superconducting dome below a non-Fermi-liquid metallic region and next to a magnetically ordered phase. We suggest that this type of fluctuating-moment-induced superconductivity, which is not originating from fluctuations near a quantum critical point, may be realized in spin-triplet superconductors such as strontium ruthenates and uranium compounds.

The adiabatic nuclear and electronic sampling method (ANES), originally formulated as an efficient Monte Carlo algorithm for systems with fluctuating charges, is applied to the simulation of a polarizable water model with induced dipole moments. Structural, thermodynamic and dipolar properties obtained by ANES and a newer algorithm, the pair approximation for polarization interaction (PAPI), are compared with full iteration. With the best parameters, the inaccuracy of both approximate methods was found to be comparable with the uncertainty of the full iteration. The PAPI method with iteration radius equal to the second minimum of the oxygen-oxygen correlation function is, depending on the convergence tolerance, 10-15 times faster than the full iteration for 256 molecules, and yields very accurate structure and thermodynamics with deviation about 0.3%. When the iteration radius is increased to the cutoff distance, exact results are recovered at the cost of decreased efficiency. The ANES method with small nuclear displacements proved to inefficiently sample the configurational space. Simulations at low electronic temperatures with large nuclear displacements are inaccurate for up to 100 electronic moves, and increasing this number would make the simulations as slow as the full iteration. The most accurate and efficient adiabatic ANES simulations are those with infinite electronic temperature, large nuclear displacements and 1-10 electronic moves. The extra freedom of induced dipoles in the ANES method at high electronic temperatures modifies the observed dipolar properties; however, the question of whether the dielectric constant is also modified needs further consideration.

A multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) scaffold was covalently functionalized with a second-generation polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendron, presenting four terminal amino groups per grafted aryl moiety. These reactive functions were alkylated to obtain a positively charged polycationic dendron/carbon nanotube system (d-MWCNTs⋅Cl), which eventually underwent anion exchange reaction with a negatively charged and highly luminescent Eu(III) complex ([EuL(4)]⋅NEt(4), in which L = (2-naphtoyltrifluoroacetonate)). This process afforded the target material d-MWCNTs⋅[EuL(4)], in which MWCNTs are combined with red-emitting Eu(III) centers through electrostatic interactions with the dendronic branches. Characterization of the novel MWCNT materials was accomplished by means of TGA and TEM, whereas d-MWCNTs⋅Cl and d-MWCNTs⋅ [EuL(4)] further underwent XPS, SEM and Raman analyses. These studies demonstrate the integrity of the luminescent [EuL(4)](-) center in the luminescent hybrid, the massive load of the cationic binding sites, and the virtually complete anion-exchange into the final hybrid material. The occurrence of the ion-pairinginteraction with MWCNTs was unambiguously demonstrated through DOSY NMR diffusion studies. Photophysical investigations show that MWCNTs⋅[EuL(4)] is a highly soluble and brightly luminescent red hybrid material in which MWCNTs act as photochemically inert scaffolds with negligible UV/Vis absorption, compared with the grafted Eu complex, and with no quenching activity. The high dispersibility of MWCNTs⋅[EuL(4)] in a polymer matrix makes it a promising luminophore for applications in material science. PMID:22488679

A time-reversal invariant topological superconductivity is suggested to be realized in a quasi-one-dimensional structure on a plane, which is fabricated by filling the superconducting materials into the periodic channel of dielectric matrices like zeolite and asbestos under high pressure. The topological superconducting phase sets up in the presence of large spin-orbit interactions when intra-wire s-wave and inter-wire d-wave pairings take place. Kramers pairs of Majorana bound states emerge at the edges of each wire. We analyze effects of the Zeeman magnetic field on Majorana zero-energy states. In-plane magnetic field was shown to make asymmetric the energy dispersion, nevertheless Majorana fermions survive due to protection of a particle-hole symmetry. Tunneling of Majorana quasiparticle from the end of one wire to the nearest-neighboring one yields edge fractional Josephson current with 4π-periodicity.

The impact of disorder on the superconducting (SC) pairing mechanism is the centre of much debate. Some evidence suggests a loss of phase coherence of pairs while others point towards the formation of a competing phase. In our work we show that the two perspectives may be different sides of the same coin. Using an extension of the perturbative renormalization group approach we compare the impact of different disorder-induced interactions on a SC ground state. We find that in the strongly disordered regime an interaction between paired fermions and their respective disordered environment replaces conventional Cooper pairing. For these unconventional Cooper pairs the phase coherence condition, required for the formation of a SC condensate, is not satisfied.

In response to the growing interest in evaluating young learners' foreign language (FL) performance, this study aims to deepen our understanding of young learners' developmental differences in interaction during task-based paired-language assessments. To examine age effects separately from the effect of general language proficiency, we analysed…

This paper is based on an action research carried out in two Kenyan Primary schools in Nairobi. The purpose was to implement group work and pair work to improve teaching and learning in large classes by creating interaction opportunities for learners. This was a mixed method study of dominant/less dominant design where interviews and structured…

We present a multiband model for superconductivity at the metallic interface between insulating oxides LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 (001). Using a self-consistent Bogoliubov-de Gennes theory, formulated with the realistic bands at the interface, we investigate the spin-singlet and spin-triplet pairings in intraband and interband channels. We find that the Rashba and atomic spin-orbit interactions at the interface induce singlet pairing in the interband channel and triplet pairing in both the intraband and interband channels when the pairing amplitude in the singlet intraband channel is finite. The gate-voltage variation of superconductivity is resolved in different pairing channels, compared with experimental results, and found to match quite well. Interestingly, an enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature by external in-plane magnetic field is found, revealing the existence of a hidden superconducting state above the observed one. As the interface is known to possess a high level of inhomogeneity, we explore the role of nonmagnetic disorder incorporating thermal phase fluctuations by using a Monte Carlo method. We show that even after the transition to the nonsuperconducting phase, driven by temperature or magnetic field, the interface possesses localized Cooper pairs whose signature was observed in previous experiments.

Superconductors, especially high T{sub c} ones, are the most attractive materials to design stable and fully passive magnetic suspensions which have to control five degrees of freedom. The hybrid superconducting magnetic suspensions present high performances and a simple cooling mode. They consist of a permanent magnet bearing, stabilized by a suitable magnet-superconductor structure. Several designs are given and compared in terms of forces and stiffnesses. The design of the magnet bearing plays an important part. The superconducting magnetic bearing participates less in levitation but must provide a high stabilizing stiffness. This is achieved by the magnet configuration, a good material in term of critical current density and field cooling. A hybrid superconducting suspension for a flywheel is presented. This system consists of a magnet thrust bearing stabilized by superconductors interacting with an alternating polarity magnet structure. First tests and results are reported. Superconducting materials are magnetically melt-textured YBaCuO.

We consider the superconductivity of the topological half-Heusler semimetals YPtBi and LuPtBi, where pairing occurs between j = 3 / 2 quasiparticles. This permits Cooper pairs with quintet or septet total angular momentum, in addition to singlet and triplet states. Purely on-site interactions can generate unconventional (quintet) time-reversal symmetry-breaking states with topologically nontrivial point or line nodes. Furthermore, due to the broken inversion symmetry in these materials, the usual s-wave singlet state can mix with a p-wave septet state, also with topologically stable line-nodes. We acknowledge support from Microsoft Station Q, LPS-CMTC, and JQI-NSF-PFC (P.M.R.B), J. Paglione and the U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Award DE-SC-0010605 (L.W.), and the NSF via DMREF-1335215 (D.F.A. and M.W.).

We investigate theoretically the properties of a weak link between two superconducting leads, which has the form of a nonsuperconducting nanowire with a strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling caused by an electric field. In the Coulomb-blockade regime of single-electron tunneling, we find that such a weak link acts as a "spin splitter" of the spin states of Cooper pairs tunneling through the link, to an extent that depends on the direction of the electric field. We show that the Josephson current is sensitive to interference between the resulting two transmission channels, one where the spins of both members of a Cooper pair are preserved and one where they are both flipped. As a result, the current is a periodic function of the strength of the spin-orbit interaction and of the bending angle of the nanowire (when mechanically bent); an identical effect appears due to strain-induced spin-orbit coupling. In contrast, no spin-orbit induced interference effect can influence the current through a single weak link connecting two normal metals.

We investigate theoretically the properties of a weak link between two superconducting leads, which has the form of a nonsuperconducting nanowire with a strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling caused by an electric field. In the Coulomb-blockade regime of single-electron tunneling, we find that such a weak link acts as a "spin splitter" of the spin states of Cooper pairs tunneling through the link, to an extent that depends on the direction of the electric field. We show that the Josephson current is sensitive to interference between the resulting two transmission channels, one where the spins of both members of a Cooper pair are preserved and one where they are both flipped. As a result, the current is a periodic function of the strength of the spin-orbit interaction and of the bending angle of the nanowire (when mechanically bent); an identical effect appears due to strain-induced spin-orbit coupling. In contrast, no spin-orbit induced interference effect can influence the current through a single weak link connecting two normal metals. PMID:27284669

The microscopic nature of an insulating state in the vicinity of a superconducting state in the presence of disorder is a hotly debated question. While the simplest scenario proposes that Coulomb interactions destroy the Cooper pairs at the transition, leading to localization of single electrons, an alternate possibility supported by experimental observations suggests that Cooper pairs instead directly localize. The question of the homogeneity, granularity, or possibly glassiness of the material on the verge of this transition is intimately related to this fundamental issue. Here, by combining macroscopic and nanoscale studies of superconducting ultrathin NbN films, we reveal nanoscopic inhomogeneities that emerge when the film thickness is reduced. For the thinnest films, scanning tunneling spectroscopy at low temperature unveils inhomogeneities in the superconducting properties, of typical size Li, that are not correlated to any structural inhomogeneity and that are found to persist above the critical temperature in the form of a pseudogap. Remarkably enough, while the thickest films display a purely two-dimensional behavior in the superconducting fluctuations above the critical temperature, paraconductivity in the pseudogap regime of the thinnest samples demonstrates fluctuations of the amplitude of the order parameter, corresponding to zero-dimensional fluctuating regions of size precisely Li. We propose that an anomalous diffusion slowing-down process is at play at long wave vectors, leading to some "confinement" of the superconducting fluctuations, which allows us to explain the simultaneous paradoxical presence of a pseudogap and zero-dimensional amplitude fluctuations of the order parameter. These findings call for further theoretical investigation to understand this intermediate state where Cooper pairs continuously evolve from a bound state of fermionic objects into localized bosonic entities.

The problem of supercurrent in superconducting graphene is revisited and the supercurrent is calculated within the mean-field model employing the two-component wave functions on a honeycomb lattice with pairing between different valleys in the Brillouin zone. We show that the supercurrent within the linear approximation in the order-parameter-phase gradient is always finite even if the doping level is exactly zero.

It is shown from first principles that, in the periodic potential of a crystalline solid, short-range (i.e., screened) binary Coulomb interactions can lead to a two-electron bound state. It is further suggested that these composite bosonic states (charge -2e, and typically spin zero) could mediate an effectively attractive interaction between pairs of conduction electrons close to the Fermi level. This necessarily short range attractive interaction, which is crucially dependent on the band structure of the solid, and is complementary to the phonon-mediated one, may provide a source for the existence and properties of short correlation-length electron pairs (analogous to but distinct from Cooper pairs) needed to understand high temperature superconductivity. Several distinctive and observable characteristics of the proposed pairing scheme are discussed.

Quantum fluctuations of the proposed superconducting string with Bose charge carriers are studied in terms of the vortices on the string world sheet. In the thermodynamical limit, it is found that they appear in the form of free vortices rather than as bound pairs. This fluctuation mode violates the topological conservation law on which superconductivity is based. However, this limit may not be reached. The critical size of the superconducting string is estimated as a function of the coupling constants involved.

Nodal superconductivity is observed in LiFeP while its counterpart LiFeAs with similar topology and orbital content of the Fermi surfaces is a nodeless superconductor. We explain this difference by solving, in the two-Fe Brillouin zone, the frequency-dependent Eliashberg equations with the spin-fluctuation-mediated pairinginteraction. Because of Fermi surface topology details, in LiFeAs all the Fe -t2 g orbitals favor a common pairing symmetry. By contrast, in LiFeP the dx y orbital favors a pairing symmetry different from dx z /y z and their competition determines the pairing symmetry and the strength of the superconducting instability: dx y orbital strongly overcomes the others and imposes the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter. The leading pairing channel is a dx y-type state with nodes on both hole and electron Fermi surfaces. As a consequence, the dx z /y z electrons weakly pair, leading to a reduced transition temperature in LiFeP.

We study the phase diagram of the strongly-interacting spin-imbalanced Fermi gas in two dimensions, where the low dimensionality enhances correlations and phase fluctuations. Our interest is motivated by the connection of this system with superconductivity in the presence of a large Zeeman field. We observe pair condensation for a range of spin imbalance and interaction strengths. The measurement of the phase diagram opens the door for a detailed investigation of exotic phases such as the Sarma/broken pair phase and the elusive FFLO phase.

We study the phase diagram of the strongly-interacting spin-imbalanced Fermi gas in two dimensions, where the low dimensionality enhances correlations and phase fluctuations. Our interest is motivated by the connection of this system with superconductivity in the presence of a large Zeeman field. We observe pair condensation for a range of spin imbalance and interaction strengths. The measurement of the phase diagram opens the door for a detailed investigation of exotic phases such as the Sarma/broken pair phase and the elusive FFLO phase.

The origin of superconductivity in the Fe-based superconductors, like that in other unconventional superconductors, remains shrouded in mystery. How the pairing bosons emerge either due to or in spite of the strong magnetic interactions found in the Fe-based superconductors is one of the most thoroughly investigated questions in the field. A prominent example of the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism is the dramatic shift of spectral weight from the low energy spin excitations to an energy which is related to the superconducting gap resulting in a peak in the spin excitation spectrum localized in both momentum and energy which occurs at the onset of superconductivity. The appearance of the new peak in the spin excitation spectrum below the superconducting transition temperature is referred to as s spin resonance and is most commonly interpreted as indicating a sign change of the superconducting order parameter on different portions of the Fermi surface and thus is consistent with an extended s-wave or s± pairing symmetry in many Fe-based superconductors. We will review the observations and implications of the spin resonance across the Fe-based superconductors. In particular we will examine the relationship between the resonance energy and the superconducting transition temperature as a function of chemical doping and pressure. While the spin resonance provides important information about pairing symmetry, there does not appear to be sufficient spectral to explain the pairing strength. Thus the remainder of the spin excitation spectrum must be examined to determine if spin fluctuations are ultimately responsible for pairing in the Fe-based materials. Consequently, we will discuss in detail the way in which the spin excitations evolve from the nonsuperconducting compounds to their superconducting relatives as a function of chemical doping.

In order to provide a flexible oxide superconducting cable which is reduced in AC loss, tape-shaped superconducting wires covered with a stabilizing metal are wound on a flexible former. The superconducting wires are preferably laid on the former at a bending strain of not more than 0.2%. In laying on the former, a number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on a core member in a side-by-side manner, to form a first layer. A prescribed number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on top of the first layer in a side-by-side manner, to form a second layer. The former may be made of a metal, plastic, reinforced plastic, polymer, or a composite and provides flexibility to the superconducting wires and the cable formed therewith.

In order to provide a flexible oxide superconducting cable which is reduced in AC loss, tape-shaped superconducting wires covered with a stabilizing metal are wound on a flexible former. The superconducting wires are preferably laid on the former at a bending strain of not more than 0.2%. In laying on the former, a number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on a core member in a side-by-side manner, to form a first layer. A prescribed number of tape-shaped superconducting wires are laid on top of the first layer in a side-by-side manner, to form a second layer. The former may be made of a metal, plastic, reinforced plastic, polymer, or a composite and provides flexibility to the superconducting wires and the cable formed therewith.

The recent discovery of superconductivity in MgB2, with its BCS-like Cooper pairing mechanism and the 40-K critical temperature, and the demonstration of efficient single-optical-photon detection in superconducting NbN nanowire meanders inspired an interest in the development of superconducting radiation detectors based on MgB2. We report the results of our experimental and theoretical studies of a photoresponse mechanism in superconducting MgB2 thin films and microbridges. We demonstrate that despite the two-gap nature of this material, the nonequilibrium superconducting recovery dynamics in MgB2 is similar to conventional one-gap, both low- and high-temperature superconductors and is governed by quasiparticle recombination, limited by the phonon bottleneck mechanism. Our measured 100-ps-wide responses in MgB2 superconducting microbridges, operated at temperatures above 20 K, make this material promising for superconducting photodetector applications.

Possible superconductivity of electrons with the Dirac spectrum is analyzed using the BCS model. We calculate the critical temperature, the superconducting energy gap, and the supercurrent as functions of the doping level and of the pairinginteraction strength. Zero doping is characterized by the existence of a quantum critical point such that the critical temperature vanishes below some finite value of the interaction strength. However, the critical temperature remains finite for any nonzero electron or hole doping level when the Fermi energy is shifted away from the Dirac point. As distinct from usual superconductors, the supercurrent density is not proportional to the number of electrons but is strongly decreased due to the presence of the Dirac point.

Possible superconductivity of electrons with the Dirac spectrum is analyzed using the BCS model. We calculate the critical temperature, the superconducting energy gap, and the supercurrent as functions of the doping level and of the pairinginteraction strength. Zero doping is characterized by the existence of a quantum critical point such that the critical temperature vanishes below some finite value of the interaction strength. However, the critical temperature remains finite for any nonzero electron or hole doping level when the Fermi energy is shifted away from the Dirac point. As distinct from usual superconductors, the supercurrent density is not proportional to the number of electrons but is strongly decreased due to the presence of the Dirac point. PMID:18643614

2D superconductivity is attracting a renewed interest due to the discoveries of new highly crystalline 2D superconductors in the past decade. Superconductivity at the oxide interfaces triggered by LaAlO3/SrTiO3 has become one of the promising routes for creation of new 2D superconductors. Also, the MBE grown metallic monolayers including FeSe are also offering a new platform of 2D superconductors. In the last two years, there appear a variety of monolayer/bilayer superconductors fabricated by CVD or mechanical exfoliation. Among these, electric field induced superconductivity by electric double layer transistor (EDLT) is a unique platform of 2D superconductivity, because of its ability of high density charge accumulation, and also because of the versatility in terms of materials, stemming from oxides to organics and layered chalcogenides. In this presentation, the following issues of electric filed induced superconductivity will be addressed; (1) Tunable carrier density, (2) Weak pinning, (3) Absence of inversion symmetry. (1) Since the sheet carrier density is quasi-continuously tunable from 0 to the order of 1014 cm-2, one is able to establish an electronic phase diagram of superconductivity, which will be compared with that of bulk superconductors. (2) The thickness of superconductivity can be estimated as 2 - 10 nm, dependent on materials, and is much smaller than the in-plane coherence length. Such a thin but low resistance at normal state results in extremely weak pinning beyond the dirty Boson model in the amorphous metallic films. (3) Due to the electric filed, the inversion symmetry is inherently broken in EDLT. This feature appears in the enhancement of Pauli limit of the upper critical field for the in-plane magnetic fields. In transition metal dichalcogenide with a substantial spin-orbit interactions, we were able to confirm the stabilization of Cooper pair due to its spin-valley locking. This work has been supported by Grant-in-Aid for Specially

Recent experiments on the normal-state and superconducting properties of fullerene-based solids are used to constrain the proposal theories of the electronic nature of these materials. In general, models of superconductivity based on electron pairing induced by phonons are consistent with electronic band theory. The latter experiments also yield estimates of the parameters characterizing these type H superconductors. It is argued that, at this point, a ``standard model`` of phonons interacting with itinerant electrons may be a good first approximation for explaining the properties of the metallic fullerenes.

Recent experiments on the normal-state and superconducting properties of fullerene-based solids are used to constrain the proposal theories of the electronic nature of these materials. In general, models of superconductivity based on electron pairing induced by phonons are consistent with electronic band theory. The latter experiments also yield estimates of the parameters characterizing these type H superconductors. It is argued that, at this point, a standard model'' of phonons interacting with itinerant electrons may be a good first approximation for explaining the properties of the metallic fullerenes.

A magnetically levitated superconducting bearing includes a magnet mounted on a shaft that is rotatable around an axis of rotation and a Type II superconductor supported on a stator in proximity to the magnet. The superconductor is positioned so that when it is cooled to its superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field, it interacts with the magnet to produce an attractive force that levitates the magnet and supports a load on the shaft. The interaction between the superconductor and magnet also produces surface screening currents that generate a repulsive force perpendicular to the load. The bearing also has means for maintaining the superconductor at a temperature below its critical temperature. The bearing could also be constructed so the magnet is supported on the stator and the superconductor is mounted on the shaft. The bearing can be operated by cooling the superconductor to its superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field. 6 figures.

The possibility of designing a semiconducting superlattice of alternating electron and hole layers that exhibits high temperature superconductivity is studied by numerical simulation of modulation-doped GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs superlattices. The feasibility of superconductivity is based on observations of high-temperature superconductors by Harshman and Mills^1, who concluded that the mechanism for Cooper pairing is a Coulomb interaction that is optimum when the mean distance between charge carriers within the layers equals the distance between the layers. Superlattice design considers optimum layer spacings, doping concentrations, and alloy concentration, x. The program employed in the superlattice simulations is a one-dimensional Schrödinger-Poisson solver developed by Snider^2. 1. D. R. Harshman and A. P. Mills, Concerning the nature of high-Tc superconductivity, Phys. Rev. B 45, 707 (1992). 2. G. Snider, 1D Poisson/Schrödinger User's Manual: A Band Diagram Calculator, (http://www.nd.edu/˜gsnider, Univ. Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana).

Superconductivity in alkali-doped C60 (A3C60, A = an alkali atom) is well described by an s-wave state produced by phonon mediated pairing. Moderate coupling of electrons to high-frequency shape-changing intra-molecular vibrational modes produces transition temperatures (Tc) up to 33 K in single-phase material. The good understanding of pairing in A3C60 offers a paradigm for the development of new superconducting materials.

In this theoretical and experimental study, the ability of carbonyl fluoride (COF2) and carbonyl chloride fluoride (COFCl) to form noncovalent interactions with the Lewis base dimethyl ether (DME) is assessed. From ab initio calculations, two stable complexes are found for COF2·DME, both formed through a lone pair&ctdot;π interaction. FTIR measurements on liquefied noble gas solutions, supported by ab initio calculations, statistical thermodynamical calculations and Monte Carle Free Energy Perturbation calculations, show that a 1:1 lone pair&ctdot;π bonded complex is found in solution, with an experimental complexation enthalpy of -14.5(3) kJ mol-1. For COFCl·DME three lone pair&ctdot;π complexes, as well as a Cl&ctdot;O halogen bonded complex, are found from ab initio calculations. Experimentally, clear complex bands for 1:1 lone pair&ctdot;π complexes are observed, with an experimental complexation enthalpy of -11.4(2) kJ mol-1. Furthermore, indications of the presence of a small amount of the halogen bonded complex are also observed.

The highest superconducting transition temperatures in the (A1-xBx)3C60 superconducting family are seen in the A15 and FCC structural phases of Cs3C60 (optimized under hydrostatic pressure), exhibiting measured values for near-stoichiometric samples of TC0 meas . = 37.8 K and 35.7 K, respectively. It is argued these two Cs-intercalated C60 compounds represent the optimal materials of their respective structures, with superconductivity originating from Coulombic e- h interactions between the C60 molecules, which host the n-type superconductivity, and mediating holes associated with the Cs cations. A variation of the interlayer Coulombic pairing model [Harshman and Fiory, J. Supercond. Nov. Magn. 28 ̲, 2967 (2015), and references therein] is introduced in which TC0 calc . ~ 1 / lζ , where l relates to the mean spacing between interacting charges on surfaces of the C60 molecules, and ζ is the average radial distance between the surface of the C60 molecules and the neighboring Cs cations. For stoichiometric Cs3C60, TC0 calc . = 38.08 K and 35.67 K for the A15 and FCC macrostructures, respectively; the dichotomy is attributable to differences in ζ.

Using dynamic cluster quantum Monte Carlo simulations, we study the superconducting behavior of a 1=8 doped two-dimensional Hubbard model with imposed unidirectional stripelike charge-density-wave modulation. We find a significant increase of the pairing correlations and critical temperature relative to the homogeneous system when the modulation length scale is sufficiently large. With a separable form of the irreducible particle-particle vertex, we show that optimized superconductivity is obtained for a moderate modulation strength due to a delicate balance between the modulation enhanced pairinginteraction, and a concomitant suppression of the bare particle-particle excitations by a modulation reduction of the quasiparticle weight.

A superconductive structure including a dielectric oxide substrate, a thin buffer layer of a superconducting material thereon; and, a layer of a rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film thereon the thin layer of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, the rare earth selected from the group consisting of samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, erbium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, lutetium, a combination of more than one element from the rare earth group and a combination of one or more elements from the rare earth group with yttrium, the buffer layer of superconducting material characterized as having chemical and structural compatibility with the dielectric oxide substrate and the rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film is provided.

A superconductive structure including a dielectric oxide substrate, a thin buffer layer of a superconducting material thereon; and, a layer of a rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film thereon the thin layer of yttrium-barium-copper oxide, the rare earth selected from the group consisting of samarium, gadolinium, ytterbium, erbium, neodymium, dysprosium, holmium, lutetium, a combination of more than one element from the rare earth group and a combination of one or more elements from the rare earth group with yttrium, the buffer layer of superconducting material characterized as having chemical and structural compatibility with the dielectric oxide substrate and the rare earth-barium-copper oxide superconducting film is provided.

The processes of electron-positron pairs generation induced by laser radiation of 10{sup 18}-10{sup 20} W/cm{sup 2} are studied. The results of pairs production in Coulomb field of nucleus by relativistic electrons are presented. The estimations of positrons generation and yield from targets considering production from electrons and bremsstrahlung photons are made. The PRIZMA-code simulations performed using Monte-Carlo method confirm the estimations. The positrons yield of 10{sup 8}-10{sup 10} from high-Z targets irradiated by picosecond lasers of power 10{sup 2}-10{sup 3} TW is found to be possible.

We study the phase diagram of the Hubbard model in the weak-coupling limit for coexisting spin-density-wave order and spin-fluctuation-mediated superconductivity. Both longitudinal and transverse spin fluctuations contribute significantly to the effective interaction potential, which creates Cooper pairs of the quasiparticles of the antiferromagnetic metallic state. We find a dominant dx2-y2-wave solution in both electron- and hole-doped cases. In the quasi-spin-triplet channel, the longitudinal fluctuations give rise to an effective attraction supporting a p -wave gap, but are overcome by repulsive contributions from the transverse fluctuations which disfavor p -wave pairing compared to dx2-y2. The subleading pair instability is found to be in the g -wave channel, but complex admixtures of d and g are not energetically favored since their nodal structures coincide. Inclusion of interband pairing, in which each fermion in the Cooper pair belongs to a different spin-density-wave band, is considered for a range of electron dopings in the regime of well-developed magnetic order. We demonstrate that these interband pairing gaps, which are nonzero in the magnetic state, must have the same parity under inversion as the normal intraband gaps. The self-consistent solution to the full system of five coupled gap equations gives intraband and interband pairing gaps of dx2-y2 structure and similar gap magnitude. In conclusion, the dx2-y2 gap dominates for both hole and electron doping inside the spin-density-wave phase.

It is shown that, in the "jelly" model of cold electron-ion plasma, the interaction between electrons and the quantum electromagnetic vacuum of Langmuir waves involves plasma superconductivity with an energy gap proportional to the energy of the Langmuir quantum.

It is shown that, in the 'jelly' model of cold electron-ion plasma, the interaction between electrons and the quantum electromagnetic vacuum of Langmuir waves involves plasma superconductivity with an energy gap proportional to the energy of the Langmuir quantum.

We performed ab initio quantum chemical studies for the development of intra and intermolecular interaction potentials for formic acid for use in molecular dynamics simulations of formic acid molecular crystal. The formic acid structures considered in the ab initio studies include both the cis and trans monomers which are the conformers that have been postulated as part of chains constituting liquid and crystal phases under extreme conditions. Although the cis to trans transformation is not energetically favored, the trans isomer was found as a component of stable gas-phase species. Our decomposition scheme for the interaction energy indicates that the hydrogen bonded complexes are dominated by the Hartree-Fock forces while parallel clusters are stabilized by the electron correlation energy. The calculated three-body and higher interactions are found to be negligible, thus rationalizing the development of an atom-atom pair potential for formic acid based on high-level ab initio calculations of small formic acid clusters. Here we present an atom-atom pair potential that includes both intra- and inter-molecular degrees of freedom for formic acid. The newly developed pair potential is used to examine formic acid in the condensed phase via molecular dynamics simulations. The isothermal compression under hydrostatic pressure obtained from molecular dynamics simulations is in good agreement with experiment. Further, the calculated equilibrium melting temperature is found to be in good agreement with experiment.

We performed ab initio quantum-chemical studies for the development of intra- and intermolecular interaction potentials for formic acid for use in molecular-dynamics simulations of formic acid molecular crystal. The formic acid structures considered in the ab initio studies include both the cis and trans monomers which are the conformers that have been postulated as part of chains constituting liquid and crystal phases under extreme conditions. Although the cis to trans transformation is not energetically favored, the trans isomer was found as a component of stable gas-phase species. Our decomposition scheme for the interaction energy indicates that the hydrogen-bonded complexes are dominated by the Hartree-Fock forces while parallel clusters are stabilized by the electron correlation energy. The calculated three-body and higher interactions are found to be negligible, thus rationalizing the development of an atom-atom pair potential for formic acid based on high-level ab initio calculations of small formic acid clusters. Here we present an atom-atom pair potential that includes both intra- and inter molecular degrees of freedom for formic acid. The newly developed pair potential is used to examine formic acid in the condensed phase via molecular-dynamics simulations. The isothermal compression under hydrostatic pressure obtained from molecular-dynamics simulations is in good agreement with experiment. Further, the calculated equilibrium melting temperature is found to be in good agreement with experiment. PMID:16238411

Recent studies have considered modifications to the standard weakly interacting massive particle scenario in which the pair annihilation cross section (times relative velocity v) is enhanced by a factor 1/upsilon to approximately 10(-3) in the Galaxy, enough to explain several puzzling Galactic radiation signals. We show that in these scenarios a burst of weakly interacting massive particle annihilation occurs in the first collapsed dark-matter halos. We show that severe constraints to the annihilation cross section derive from measurements of the diffuse extragalactic radiation and from ionization and heating of the intergalactic medium. PMID:19437633

Energy efficient computing has become a major challenge, with the increasing importance of large data centres across the world, which already today have a power consumption comparable to that of Spain, with steeply increasing trend. Superconducting computing is progressively becoming an alternative for large-scale applications, with the costs for cooling being largely outweighed by the gain in energy efficiency. The combination of superconductivity and spintronics - ``superspintronics'' - has the potential and flexibility to develop into such a green technology. This young field is based on the observation that new phenomena emerge at interfaces between superconducting and other, competing, phases. The past 15 years have seen a series of pivotal predictions and experimental discoveries relating to the interplay between superconductivity and ferromagnetism. The building blocks of superspintronics are equal-spin Cooper pairs, which are generated at the interface between superconducting and a ferromagnetic materials in the presence of non-collinear magnetism. Such novel, spin-polarised Cooper pairs carry spin-supercurrents in ferromagnets and thus contribute to spin-transport and spin-control. Geometric Berry phases appear during the singlet-triplet conversion process in structures with non-coplanar magnetisation, enhancing functionality of devices, and non-locality introduced by superconducting order leads to long-range effects. With the successful generation and control of equal-spin Cooper pairs the hitherto notorious incompatibility of superconductivity and ferromagnetism has been not only overcome, but turned synergistic. I will discuss these developments and their extraordinary potential. I also will present open questions posed by recent experiments and point out implications for theory. This work is supported by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC Grant No. EP/J010618/1).

Topological crystalline superconductivity in locally noncentrosymmetric multilayer superconductors (SCs) is proposed. We study the odd-parity pair-density wave (PDW) state induced by the spin-singlet pairinginteraction through the spin-orbit coupling. It is shown that the PDW state is a topological crystalline SC protected by a mirror symmetry, although it is topologically trivial according to the classification based on the standard topological periodic table. The topological property of the mirror subsectors is intuitively explained by adiabatically changing the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian. A subsector of the bilayer PDW state reduces to the two-dimensional noncentrosymmetric SC, while a subsector of the trilayer PDW state is topologically equivalent to the spinless p -wave SC. Chiral Majorana edge modes in trilayers can be realized without Cooper pairs in the spin-triplet channel and chemical potential tuning.

Topological crystalline superconductivity in locally noncentrosymmetric multilayer superconductors (SCs) is proposed. We study the odd-parity pair-density wave (PDW) state induced by the spin-singlet pairinginteraction through the spin-orbit coupling. It is shown that the PDW state is a topological crystalline SC protected by a mirror symmetry, although it is topologically trivial according to the classification based on the standard topological periodic table. The topological property of the mirror subsectors is intuitively explained by adiabatically changing the Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonian. A subsector of the bilayer PDW state reduces to the two-dimensional noncentrosymmetric SC, while a subsector of the trilayer PDW state is topologically equivalent to the spinless p-wave SC. Chiral Majorana edge modes in trilayers can be realized without Cooper pairs in the spin-triplet channel and chemical potential tuning. PMID:26207495

Coupled electron-nuclear dynamics has been studied, using the Ehrenfest method, for four conformations of the glycine molecule and a single conformation of Gly-Gly-NH-CH{sub 3}. The initial electronic wavepacket was a superposition of eigenstates corresponding to ionization from the σ lone pairs associated with the carbonyl oxygens and the amine nitrogen. For glycine, oscillating charge migration (when the nuclei were frozen) was observed for the 4 conformers studied with periods ranging from 2 to 5 fs, depending on the energy gap between the lone pair cationic states. When coupled nuclear motion was allowed (which was mainly NH{sub 2} partial inversion), the oscillations hardly changed. For Gly-Gly-NH-CH{sub 3}, charge migration between the carbonyl oxygens and the NH{sub 2} lone pair can be observed with a period similar to glycine itself, also without interaction with nuclear motion. These simulations suggest that charge migration between lone pairs can occur independently of the nuclear motion.

We study the J-pairing Hamiltonian and find that the sum of eigenvalues of spin-I states equals the sum of the norm matrix elements within the pair basis for four identical particles such as four fermions in a single-j shell or four bosons with spin l. We relate the number of states to sum rules of nine-j coefficients. We obtained sum rules for nine-j coefficients and summing over (1) even J and even K, (2) even J and odd K, (3) odd J and odd K, and (4) both even and odd values for J and K, where j is a half integer and l is an integer.

Like chiral organic drugs, the chemical and biological properties of metal complexes can be dependent on chirality. Two pairs of [Cu(phen)(ala)(H2O)]X·xH2O (phen=1.10-phenanthroline: X=NO3(-); ala: l-alanine (l-ala), 1 and d-alanine (d-ala) 2; and (X=Cl(-); ala: l-ala, 3 and d-ala, 4) complex salts (x=number of lattice water molecules) have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure of 3 has been determined. The same pair of enantiomeric species, viz. [Cu(phen)(l-ala)(H2O)](+) and [Cu(phen)(d-ala)(H2O)](+), have been identified to be present in the aqueous solutions of both 1 and 3, and in those of both 2 and 4 respectively. Both 3 and 4 bind more strongly to ds(AT)6 than ds(CG)6. There is no or insignificant effect of the chirality of 3 and 4 on the production of hydroxyl radicals, binding to deoxyribonucleic acid from calf thymus (CT-DNA), ds(CG)6, G-quadruplex and 17-base pair duplex, and inhibition of both topoisomerase I and proteasome. Among the three proteasome proteolytic sites, the trypsin-like site is inhibited most strongly by these complexes. However, the chirality of 3 and 4 does affect the number of restriction enzymes inhibited, and their binding constants towards ds(AT)6 and serum albumin. PMID:27105312

Non-ergodic as well as ergodic activation methods are capable of maintaining the integrity of base pairs during the top-down analysis of nucleic acids. Here, we investigate the significance of this characteristic in the investigation of higher-order structures of increasing complexity. We show that cognate fragments produced by typical backbone cleavages may not be always detected as separate sequence ions, but rather as individual products that remain associated through mutual pairing contacts. This effect translates into unintended masking of cleavage events that take place in double-stranded regions, thus leading to the preferential detection of fragments originating from unpaired regions. Such effect is determined by the stability of the weak non-covalent association between complementary stretches, which is affected by base composition, length of the double-stranded structure, and charge of the precursor ion selected for analysis. Although such effect may prevent the achievement of full sequence coverage for primary structure determination, it may provide the key to correctly differentiate double- versus single-stranded regions, in what could be defined as gas-phase footprinting experiments. In light of the critical role played by base pairs in defining the higher-order structure of nucleic acids, these approaches will be expected to support an increased utilization of mass spectrometry for the investigation of nucleic acid structure and dynamics. PMID:24027423

The isolated pyridine-Ag(+)-pyridine unit (Py-Ag(+)-Py) is employed as a model system to characterize the recently observed Ag(+)-mediated base pairing in DNA oligonucleotides at the molecular level. The structure and infrared (IR) spectrum of the Ag(+)-Py(2) cationic complex are investigated in the gas phase by IR multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations to determine the preferred metal-ion binding site and other salient properties of the potential-energy surface. The IRMPD spectrum has been obtained in the 840-1720 cm(-1) fingerprint region by coupling the IR free electron laser at the Centre Laser Infrarouge d'Orsay (CLIO) with a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT-ICR) mass spectrometer equipped with an electrospray ionization source. The spectroscopic results are interpreted with quantum chemical calculations conducted at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The analysis of the IRMPD spectrum is consistent with a σ complex, in which the Ag(+) ion binds to the nitrogen lone pairs of the two Py ligands in a linear configuration. The binding motif of Py-Ag(+)-Py in the gas phase is the same as that observed in Ag(+)-mediated base pairing in solution. Ag(+) bonding to the π-electron system of the aromatic ring is predicted to be a substantially less-favorable binding motif. PMID:21442717

We propose and analyze an interface between a topological qubit and a superconducting flux qubit. In our scheme, the interaction between Majorana fermions in a topological insulator is coherently controlled by a superconducting phase that depends on the quantum state of the flux qubit. A controlled-phase gate, achieved by pulsing this interaction on and off, can transfer quantum information between the topological qubit and the superconducting qubit. PMID:21517365

Superconductivity is determined by the interactions that drive Cooper pairing. However, experimental access to the pairing potential Vk ,k' becomes increasingly complicated upon going from conventional metals to complex systems such as the cuprates, some heavy fermion compounds or the iron-based superconductors. We show that electronic Raman scattering affords a window into the essential properties of Vk ,k' of iron-based superconductors. In Ba0 . 6K0 . 4Fe2As2 we observe band dependent energy gaps along with excitonic Bardasis-Schrieffer modes characterizing, respectively, the dominant and subdominant pairing channel. The dx2 -y2 symmetry of all excitons allows us to identify the subdominant channel to originate from the interaction between the electron bands. Consequently, the dominant channel driving superconductivity results from the interaction between the electron and hole bands and has the full lattice symmetry. The results in Rb0 . 8Fe1 . 6Se2 along with earlier ones in Ba(Fe0.939Co0 . 061) 2As2 highlight the influence of the Fermi surface topology on the pairinginteractions.

We expand the well-known notion that quantum criticality can induce superconductivity by proposing a concrete mechanism for superconductivity due to quantum ferroelectric fluctuations. To this end, we investigate the origin of superconductivity in doped SrTiO_{3} using a combination of density functional and strong coupling theories within the framework of quantum criticality. Our density functional calculations of the ferroelectric soft mode frequency as a function of doping reveal a crossover related to quantum paraelectricity at a doping level coincident with the experimentally observed top of the superconducting dome. Thus, we suggest a model in which the soft mode fluctuations provide the pairinginteraction for superconductivity carriers. Within our model, the low doping limit of the superconducting dome is explained by the emergence of the Fermi surface, and the high doping limit by departure from the quantum critical regime. We predict that the highest critical temperature will increase and shift to lower carrier doping with increasing ^{18}O isotope substitution, a scenario that is experimentally verifiable. Our model is applicable to other quantum paraelectrics, such as KTaO_{3}. PMID:26705650

In non-magnetic bulk materials, inversion symmetry protects the spin degeneracy. If the bulk crystal structure lacks a center of inversion, however, Rashba-type spin-orbit interactions lift the spin-degeneracy, leading to a Rashba metal whose Fermi surfaces exhibit a intricate spin texture. In superconducting Rashba metals a pairing wavefunction constructed from these complex spin structures will generally contain both singlet and triplet character. We examine possible triplet components of the order parameter in non-centrosymmetric BiPd, combining macroscopic characterization, atomic-scale ultra-low temperature scanning tunneling spectroscopy and relativistic first-principles calculations. The superconducting state of BiPd appears topologically trivial, consistent with Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer theory with an order parameter governed by a single isotropic s-wave gap.

Heavy fermion materials - so named because their conduction electrons behave as though they had extra mass - are like the cuprates in that they exhibit unusual superconducting properties. By the time the cuprates had been discovered, a good understanding of these materials was in hand. Unlike theories of high-[Tc] superconductivity, however, ideas about heavy fermions have not been the subject of great controversy. Thus, most of the effort in this backwater of condensed matter physics has focused on certain details of the behavior of one particularly well-studied compounds, UPt[sub 3]. The cause for sustained interest was that the process of developing ever more elaborate explanations for ever more elaborate experiments did not seem to converage. A recent paper by Midgley et al. reporting modulations in the crystal lattice of UPt[sub 3] suggests that theory and experiment might finally converge in a way that, while it does not threaten the broad understanding of heavy fermion systems, involves a degree of freedom ignored until now even in the face of past experience with elemental metallic uranium. Their transmission electron micrograph evidence for the existence of an incommensurate lattice modulation in UPt[sub 3] implicates this modulation as a probable source of the double superconducting transitions. Remarkably, the superconducting and magnetic coherence lengths, and the now discovered modulation period, are all of the same magnitude. For some time people have felt that stacking faults might be relevant to the properties of UPt[sub 3], but these new results are distinct from this. What Midgley et al. suggest is that the complicated superconducting phase diagram of UPt[sub 3] derives from the internal strain field caused by the modulation, and that this strain field lifts the degeneracy associated with unconventional pairing.

Iron-based superconductors have been found to exhibit an intimate interplay of orbital, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom, dramatically affecting their low-energy electronic properties, including superconductivity. Albeit the precise pairing mechanism remains unidentified, several candidate interactions have been suggested to mediate the superconductingpairing, both in the orbital and in the spin channel. Here, we employ optical spectroscopy (OS), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), ab initio band-structure, and Eliashberg calculations to show that nearly optimally doped NaFe0.978Co0.022As exhibits some of the strongest orbitally selective electronic correlations in the family of iron pnictides. Unexpectedly, we find that the mass enhancement of itinerant charge carriers in the strongly correlated band is dramatically reduced near the Γ point and attribute this effect to orbital mixing induced by pronounced spin-orbit coupling. Embracing the true band structure allows us to describe all low-energy electronic properties obtained in our experiments with remarkable consistency and demonstrate that superconductivity in this material is rather weak and mediated by spin fluctuations. PMID:26729630

Iron-based superconductors have been found to exhibit an intimate interplay of orbital, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom, dramatically affecting their low-energy electronic properties, including superconductivity. Albeit the precise pairing mechanism remains unidentified, several candidate interactions have been suggested to mediate the superconductingpairing, both in the orbital and in the spin channel. Here, we employ optical spectroscopy (OS), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, ab initio band-structure, and Eliashberg calculations to show that nearly optimally doped NaFe0.978Co0.022As exhibits some of the strongest orbitally selective electronic correlations in the family of iron pnictides. Unexpectedly, we find that the mass enhancement of itinerant charge carriers in the strongly correlated band is dramatically reduced near the Γ point and attribute this effect to orbital mixing induced by pronounced spin-orbit coupling. Embracing the true band structure allows us to describe all low-energy electronic properties obtained in our experiments with remarkable consistency and demonstrate that superconductivity in this material is rather weak and mediated by spin fluctuations. A. Charnukha acknowledges financial support by the Alexander von Humboldt foundation.

Iron-based superconductors have been found to exhibit an intimate interplay of orbital, spin, and lattice degrees of freedom, dramatically affecting their low-energy electronic properties, including superconductivity. Albeit the precise pairing mechanism remains unidentified, several candidate interactions have been suggested to mediate the superconductingpairing, both in the orbital and in the spin channel. Here, we employ optical spectroscopy (OS), angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), ab initio band-structure, and Eliashberg calculations to show that nearly optimally doped NaFe0.978Co0.022As exhibits some of the strongest orbitally selective electronic correlations in the family of iron pnictides. Unexpectedly, we find that the mass enhancement of itinerant charge carriers in the strongly correlated band is dramatically reduced near the Γ point and attribute this effect to orbital mixing induced by pronounced spin-orbit coupling. Embracing the true band structure allows us to describe all low-energy electronic properties obtained in our experiments with remarkable consistency and demonstrate that superconductivity in this material is rather weak and mediated by spin fluctuations.

We discuss specific heat and neutrino emissivity due to direct Urca processes for quark matter in the color superconductive Larkin-Ovchinnikov-Fulde-Ferrell (LOFF) phase of quantum chromodynamics. We assume that the three light quarks u, d, s are in a color and electrically neutral state and interact by a four-fermion Nambu-Jona-Lasinio coupling. We study a LOFF state characterized by a single plane wave for each pairing. From the evaluation of neutrino emissivity and fermionic specific heat, the cooling rate of simplified models of compact stars with a quark core in the LOFF state is estimated.

This chapter presents results on transport properties of hybrid structures where the interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity plays a central role. In particular, the appearance of so-called odd-frequency pairing in such structures is investigated in detail. The basic physics of superconductivity in such structures is presented, and the quasiclassical theory of Greens functions with appropriate boundary conditions is given. Results for superconductor∣ferromagnet bilayers as well as magnetic Josephson junctions and spin valves are presented. Further phenomena that are studied include transport in the presence of inhomogenous magnetic textures, spin-Josephon effect, and crossed Andreev reflection. We also investigate the possibility of intrinsic coexistence of ferromagnetism and superconductivity, as reported in a series of uranium-based heavy-fermion compounds. The nature of such a coexistence and the resulting superconducting order parameter is discussed along with relevant experimental results. We present a thermodynamic treatment for a model of a ferromagnetic supercondcutor and moreover suggest ways to experimentally determine the pairing symmetry of the superconducting gap, in particular by means of conductance spectroscopy.

Partly motivated by the newly discovered family of bismuth-based superconductors including LaO1-xFxBiS2, we study possible 2D topological superconductivities (TSC) in hidden quasi-1D systems with spin-orbit couplings. By doing RPA calculations and renormalization group (RG) treatment, we theoretically find that in a large portion of the phase diagram with varying interaction strengths and spin-orbit coupling the ground states favors superconductivity with odd-parity pairing, which results in either chiral TSC or time reversal invariant weak-Z2 TSC. We shall discuss several ways to experimentally identify these strong and weak 2D topological superconductivity. Possible applications to the bismuth-based superconductors LaO1-xFxBiS2 will also be remarked.

There is compelling theoretical evidence(R. Morf, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80), 1505 (1998). that the ν=5/2 fractional quantum Hall state is a Moore-Read state(G. Moore and N. Read, Nucl. Phys. B 360), 362 (1991). -- a state which can be viewed as a spin-polarized p-wave `superconductor' of composite fermions. The question remains, how can one test this hypothesis experimentally? To address this we have developed a semi-phenomenological description of this state in which the Halperin-Lee-Read(B.I. Halperin, P.A. Lee, and N. Read, Phys. Rev. B 47), 7312 (1993). theory of the half-filled Landau level is modified by adding a p-wave pairinginteraction between composite fermions by hand. The electromagnetic response functions for the resulting mean-field superconducting state are then calculated and used in an RPA calculation of the physical electronic response. For a clean enough sample, and for q << k_f, the transverse electromagnetic response function for composite fermions is governed by type-II coherence factors and shows a `Hebel-Slichter'-like peak as a function of temperature for low enough frequency. The possibility (and potential difficulties) of observing this peak indirectly in surface-acoustic-wave propagation experiments will be discussed. The observation of such a coherence peak would provide strong evidence of BCS pairing in the 5/2 state. Work supported by US DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-97ER45639. Work done in collaboration with K.C. Foster (FSU) and S.H. Simon (Lucent). note

In water-oxidizing photosynthetic organisms, light absorption generates a powerfully oxidizing chlorophyll complex (P680•+) in the photosystem II reaction centre. This is reduced via an electron transfer pathway from the manganese-containing water-oxidizing catalyst, which includes an electron transfer relay comprising a tyrosine (Tyr)-histidine (His) pair that features a hydrogen bond between a phenol group and an imidazole group. By rapidly reducing P680•+, the relay is thought to mitigate recombination reactions, thereby ensuring a high quantum yield of water oxidation. Here, we show that an artificial reaction centre that features a benzimidazole-phenol model of the Tyr-His pair mimics both the short-internal hydrogen bond in photosystem II and, using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, the thermal relaxation that accompanies proton-coupled electron transfer. Although this artificial system is much less complex than the natural one, theory suggests that it captures the essential features that are important in the function of the relay.

The unlike- pairinteraction parameters for the SPC/E- EPM2 models have been optimized to reproduce the mutual solubility of water and carbon dioxide at the conditions of liquid- supercritical fluid phase equilibria. An efficient global optimization of the parameters is achieved through an implementation of the coupling parameter approach, adapted to phase equilibria calculations in the Gibbs ensemble, that explicitly corrects for the over- polarization of the SPC/E water molecule in the non- polar CO2 environments. The resulting H2O- CO2 force field reproduces accurately the available experimental solubilities at the two fluid phases in equilibria as well as the corresponding species tracer diffusion coefficients.

In his original work, Josephson predicted that a phase-dependent conductance should be present in superconducting tunnel junctions, an effect difficult to detect, mainly because it is hard to single it out from the usual nondissipative Josephson current. We propose a solution for this problem that consists of using different superconducting materials to realize the two junctions of a superconducting interferometer. According to the Ambegaokar-Baratoff relation the two junctions have different conductances if the critical currents are equal, thus the Josephson current can be suppressed by fixing the magnetic flux in the loop at half of a flux quantum without canceling the phase-dependent conductance. Our proposal can be used to study the phase-dependent conductance, an effect present in principle in all superconducting weak links. From the standpoint of nonlinear circuit theory, such a device is in fact an ideal memristor with possible applications to memories and neuromorphic computing in the framework of ultrafast and low-energy-consumption superconducting digital circuits.

We revisit the issue of superconductivity at the quantum-critical point (QCP) between a 2D paramagnet and a spin-density-wave metal with ordering momentum (π, π). This problem is highly nontrivial because the system at criticality displays a non-Fermi-liquid behavior and because the effective coupling constant λ for the pairing is generally of order one, even when the actual interaction is smaller than fermionic bandwidth. Previous study [M. A. Metlitski and S. Sachdev, Phys. Rev. B 82, 075128 (2010)] has found that the renormalizations of the pairing vertex are stronger than in BCS theory and hold in powers of log(2)(1/T). We analyze the full gap equation and argue that summing up of the leading logarithms does not lead to a pairing instability. Yet, we show that superconductivity has no threshold and appears even if λ is set to be small, because subleading logarithmical renormalizations diverge and give rise to a BCS-like result log1/T(c) ∝ 1/λ. We argue that the analogy with BCS is not accidental as at small λ superconductivity at a QCP predominantly comes from fermions that retain Fermi-liquid behavior at criticality. We compute T(c) for the actual λ ∼ O(1), and find that both Fermi-liquid and non-Fermi-liquid fermions contribute to the pairing. PMID:25166835

During the past few decades, several new classes of superconductors have been discovered that do not appear to be related to traditional superconductors. The source of the superconductivity of these materials is likely different from the electron-ion interactions that are at the heart of conventional superconductivity. Developing a rigorous theory for any of these classes of materials has proven to be a difficult challenge and will remain one of the major problems in physics in the decades to come.

The rotational band structure of the Z=104 nucleus Rf256 has been observed up to a tentative spin of 20ℏ using state-of-the-art γ-ray spectroscopic techniques. This represents the first such measurement in a superheavy nucleus whose stability is entirely derived from the shell-correction energy. The observed rotational properties are compared to those of neighboring nuclei and it is shown that the kinematic and dynamic moments of inertia are sensitive to the underlying single-particle shell structure and the specific location of high-j orbitals. The moments of inertia therefore provide a sensitive test of shell structure and pairing in superheavy nuclei which is essential to ensure the validity of contemporary nuclear models in this mass region. The data obtained show that there is no deformed shell gap at Z=104, which is predicted in a number of current self-consistent mean-field models.

The rotational band structure of the Z=104 nucleus (256)Rf has been observed up to a tentative spin of 20ℏ using state-of-the-art γ-ray spectroscopic techniques. This represents the first such measurement in a superheavy nucleus whose stability is entirely derived from the shell-correction energy. The observed rotational properties are compared to those of neighboring nuclei and it is shown that the kinematic and dynamic moments of inertia are sensitive to the underlying single-particle shell structure and the specific location of high-j orbitals. The moments of inertia therefore provide a sensitive test of shell structure and pairing in superheavy nuclei which is essential to ensure the validity of contemporary nuclear models in this mass region. The data obtained show that there is no deformed shell gap at Z=104, which is predicted in a number of current self-consistent mean-field models. PMID:23031099

Recent experiments on certain Fe-based superconductors have hinted at a role for paired electrons in "incipient" bands that are close to, but do not cross, the Fermi level. Related theoretical works disagree on whether or not strong-coupling superconductivity is required to explain such effects, and whether a critical interaction strength exists. In this work, we consider various versions of the model problem of pairing of electrons in the presence of an incipient band, within a simple multiband weak-coupling BCS approximation. We categorize the problem into two cases: case (i), where superconductivity arises from the "incipient band pairing" alone, and case (ii), where it is induced on an incipient band by pairing due to Fermi-surface-based interactions. Negative conclusions regarding the importance of incipient bands have been drawn so far largely based on case (i), but we show explicitly that models under case (ii) are qualitatively different, and can explain the nonexponential suppression of Tc, as well as robust large gaps on an incipient band. In the latter situation, large gaps on the incipient band do not require a critical interaction strength. We also model the interplay between phonon and spin fluctuation driven superconductivity and describe situations in which they can enhance each other rather than compete. Finally, we discuss the effect of the dimensionality of the incipient band on our results. We argue that pairing on incipient bands may be significant and important in several Fe-based materials, including LiFeAs, FeSe intercalates, and FeSe monolayers on strontium titanate, and indeed may contribute to high critical temperatures in some cases.

The research projects and new technological developments that have occured in Russia are highlighted in this document. Some of the research discussed includes: x-ray structure analysis of YBCO superconducting single crystals and accompanying phase transformations; the role of electron-electron interaction in High Temperature Superconductors (HTSC); the formation of Cooper pairs in crystals; the synthesis and research on a new family of superconductors based on complex copper and mercury oxides (HgBa2CuO4 + alpha and HgBa2CaCu2O6 + alpha); methods for the extraction of higher (up to C200) fullerenes and metalfullerenides has been developed; and process of production of Josephson junctions and development of SQUID's.

An article of manufacture including a substrate, a patterned interlayer of magnesium oxide, barium-titanium oxide or barium-zirconium oxide, the patterned interlayer material overcoated with a secondary interlayer material of yttria-stabilized zirconia or magnesium-aluminum oxide, upon the surface of the substrate whereby an intermediate article with an exposed surface of both the overcoated patterned interlayer and the substrate is formed, a coating of a buffer layer selected from the group consisting of oxides of Ce, Y, Cm, Dy, Er, Eu, Fe, Gd, Ho, In, La, Mn, Lu, Nd, Pr, Pu, Sm, Tb, Tl, Tm, Y, and Yb over the entire exposed surface of the intermediate article, and, a ceramic superconductive material layer as an overcoat upon the buffer layer whereby the ceramic superconductive material situated directly above the substrate has a crystal structure substantially different than the ceramic superconductive material situated above the overcoated patterned interlayer.

This report provides a self-consistent description of a magnetic field in the aperture of a superconducting magnet and details how this field can be calculated in a magnet with cos theta current distribution in the coils. A description of an apparatus that can be used to measure the field uniformity in the aperture has been given. Finally, a detailed description of the magnet being developed for use in the Superconducting Super Collider is given. When this machine is built, it will be by far the largest application of superconductivity to date and promises to make possible the experimental discoveries needed to understand the basic laws of nature governing the world in which we live.

Cold February weather and pancakes are a traditional pairing. Pancake Day began as a way to eat up the foods that were abstained from in Lent--traditionally meat, fat, eggs and dairy products. The best-known pancake event is The Pancake Day Race in Buckinghamshire, England, which has been run since 1445. This column describes pairs of books that…

superconducting gap with extreme anisotropy. Strong experimental evidence shows that the four-fold symmetric superconducting gap has point nodes along the 100- and 10-directions, a feature that has been shown consistent with (s + g)-Cooper pairing. An energy gap with such strong anisotropy is unusual for an s-wave superconductor and, hence, calls for a pairing mechanism different from conventional electron phonon coupling. Antiferromagnetic fluctuations possibly play an important role in the mechanism. Magnetic superconductors RNi2B2C (R = Dy, Ho, Er, Tm) reveal several phenomena, not observed earlier, associated with the interplay of superconductivity and magnetism. Microscopic evidence (via square FLL interacting with magnetism) of the coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity; intrinsic FLL-pinning by magnetic ions; weak ferromagnetism (local moment) coexisting with superconductivity (down to the lowest temperature) and the spontaneous vortex phase (ErNi2B2C); superconductivity setting in an already magnetically ordered lattice (DyNi2B2C) and pair-breaking by nonmagnetic ions in such materials; rich and complex magnetic structures and double (nearly) re-entrant superconductivity (HoNi2B2C) and changes in the FLL-symmetry in the vicinity of magnetic transition (TmNi2B2C) and 4f-quadrupole ordering (TmNi2B2C) are several exciting phenomena that magnetic superconductors RNi2B2C exhibit.

At the end of this review are indicated some possible further studies in quaternary borocarbide superconductors. These studies may turn out to be important not only with respect to borocarbides themselves but also from the standpoint of superconductivity in general.

Saturated phospholipids, unsaturated phospholipids, and cholesterol are essential components of cell membranes, making the understanding of their mutual interactions of great significance. We have performed microsecond molecular dynamics simulations on the ternary mixtures of DPPC/POPC/cholesterol to systematically examine lipid-lipid and cholesterol-lipid interactions in the liquid-ordered and the liquid-disordered phases. The results show that there exists a competition between the tighter packing of cholesterol-lipid and the looser packing of lipid-lipid as the membrane changes from the liquid-disordered phase to the liquid-ordered phase. Depending on the lipid saturation, the favor of lipid-lipid interactions is in the order of saturated-saturated > monounsaturated-monounsaturated > saturated-monounsaturated. Cholesterol-saturated lipid interactions are more favorable than cholesterol-monounsaturated lipid ones. The results are consistent with the push-pull forces derived from experiments and give general insights into the interactions among membrane components. PMID:27103534

Cells contain many important protein complexes involved in performing and regulating structural, metabolic, and signaling functions. Understanding physical and functional interactions between proteins in living systems is of vital importance in biology. The importance of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) has led to the development of several powerful methodologies and techniques to detect them. All of this information has enabled the creation of large protein-interaction networks. One important challenge in biology is to understand how protein complexes respond to genetic perturbations. Here we describe a systematic genetic assay termed "reverse PCA," which allows the identification of genes whose products are required for modulating the physical interaction between two given proteins. Our assay starts with a yeast strain in which the PPI of interest can be detected by resistance to the drug methotrexate, in the context of the protein-fragment complementation assay (PCA). By combining the synthetic genetic array (SGA) technology, we can systematically screen mutant libraries of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify trans-acting mutations that disrupt the physical interaction of interest. The identification of such mutants is valuable for unraveling important regulatory mechanisms, and for defining the response of the protein interactome to specific perturbations. PMID:25181300

We introduce an effective low-energy pairing model for Fe-based superconductors with s- and d-wave interaction components and a small number of input parameters and use it to study the doping evolution of the symmetry and the structure of the superconducting gap. We argue that the model describes the entire variety of pairing states found so far in the Fe-based superconductors and allows one to understand the mechanism of the attraction in s{sup {+-}} and d{sub x{sup 2}-y{sup 2}} channels, the competition between s- and d-wave solutions, and the origin of superconductivity in heavily doped systems, when only electron or only hole pockets are present.

The discovery of superconductivity in 1911 was a great milestone in condensed matter physics. This discovery has resulted in an enormous amount of research activity. Collaboration among chemists and physicists, as well as experimentalists and theoreticians has given rise to very rich physics with significant potential applications ranging from electric power transmission to quantum information. Several superconducting materials have been synthesized. Crucial progress was made in 1987 with the discovery of high temperature superconductivity in copper-based compounds (cuprates) which have revealed new fascinating properties. Innovative theoretical tools have been developed to understand the striking features of cuprates which have remained for three decades the 'blue-eyed boy' for researchers in superconductor physics. The history of superconducting materials has been notably marked by the discovery of other compounds, particularly organic superconductors which despite their low critical temperature continue to attract great interest regarding their exotic properties. Last but not least, the recent observation of superconductivity in iron-based materials (pnictides) has renewed hope in reaching room temperature superconductivity. However, despite intense worldwide studies, several features related to this phenomenon remain unveiled. One of the fundamental key questions is the mechanism by which superconductivity takes place. Superconductors continue to hide their 'secret garden'. The new trends in the physics of superconductivity have been one of the two basic topics of the International Conference on Conducting Materials (ICoCoM2010) held in Sousse,Tunisia on 3-7 November 2010 and organized by the Tunisian Physical Society. The conference was a nice opportunity to bring together participants from multidisciplinary domains in the physics of superconductivity. This special section contains papers submitted by participants who gave an oral contribution at ICoCoM2010

This study examined communication interaction patterns when one sibling had a developmental disability as well as the role of communication skills in sibling relationship quality. Thirty sibling dyads were categorized into one of three communication status groups: emerging, context-dependent, and independent communicators. Independent…

The Interaction Approach argues that negotiation for meaning and form is conducive to second language development. To date, most of the research on negotiations has been either in face-to-face (FTF) or text-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) modes. Very few studies have compared the nature of negotiations across the modes.…

Surface effects in strange-quark matter play an important role for certain observables which have been proposed in order to identify strange stars, and color superconductivity can strongly modify these effects. We study the surface of color superconducting strange-quark matter by solving the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov equations for finite systems ('strangelets') within the MIT bag model, supplemented with a pairinginteraction. Because of the bag-model boundary condition, the strange-quark density is suppressed at the surface. This leads to a positive surface charge, concentrated in a layer of {approx}1 fm below the surface, even in the color-flavor locked (CFL) phase. However, since in the CFL phase all quarks are paired, this positive charge is compensated by a negative charge, which turns out to be situated in a layer of a few tens of fm below the surface, and the total charge of CFL strangelets is zero. We also study the surface and curvature contributions to the total energy. Because of the strong pairing, the energy as a function of the mass number is very well reproduced by a liquid-drop type formula with curvature term.

Posttranscriptional modifications at the wobble position of transfer RNAs play a substantial role in deciphering the degenerate genetic code on the ribosome. The number and variety of modifications suggest different mechanisms of action during messenger RNA decoding, of which only a few were described so far. Here, on the basis of several 70S ribosome complex X-ray structures, we demonstrate how Escherichia coli tRNALysUUU with hypermodified 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine (mnm5s2U) at the wobble position discriminates between cognate codons AAA and AAG, and near-cognate stop codon UAA or isoleucine codon AUA, with which it forms pyrimidine-pyrimidine mismatches. We show that mnm5s2U forms an unusual pair with guanosine at the wobble position that expands general knowledge on the degeneracy of the genetic code and specifies a powerful role of tRNA modifications in translation. Our models consolidate the translational fidelity mechanism proposed previously where the steric complementarity and shape acceptance dominate the decoding mechanism.

Posttranscriptional modifications at the wobble position of transfer RNAs play a substantial role in deciphering the degenerate genetic code on the ribosome. The number and variety of modifications suggest different mechanisms of action during messenger RNA decoding, of which only a few were described so far. Here, on the basis of several 70S ribosome complex X-ray structures, we demonstrate how Escherichia coli tRNA(Lys)(UUU) with hypermodified 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine (mnm(5)s(2)U) at the wobble position discriminates between cognate codons AAA and AAG, and near-cognate stop codon UAA or isoleucine codon AUA, with which it forms pyrimidine-pyrimidine mismatches. We show that mnm(5)s(2)U forms an unusual pair with guanosine at the wobble position that expands general knowledge on the degeneracy of the genetic code and specifies a powerful role of tRNA modifications in translation. Our models consolidate the translational fidelity mechanism proposed previously where the steric complementarity and shape acceptance dominate the decoding mechanism. PMID:26791911

Posttranscriptional modifications at the wobble position of transfer RNAs play a substantial role in deciphering the degenerate genetic code on the ribosome. The number and variety of modifications suggest different mechanisms of action during messenger RNA decoding, of which only a few were described so far. Here, on the basis of several 70S ribosome complex X-ray structures, we demonstrate how Escherichia coli tRNALysUUU with hypermodified 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine (mnm5s2U) at the wobble position discriminates between cognate codons AAA and AAG, and near-cognate stop codon UAA or isoleucine codon AUA, with which it forms pyrimidine–pyrimidine mismatches. We show that mnm5s2U forms an unusual pair with guanosine at the wobble position that expands general knowledge on the degeneracy of the genetic code and specifies a powerful role of tRNA modifications in translation. Our models consolidate the translational fidelity mechanism proposed previously where the steric complementarity and shape acceptance dominate the decoding mechanism. PMID:26791911

The white gene in the A(R)4-24 P[white,rosy] insertion on chromosome 2 has a novel expression pattern, in which it is repressed in the dorsal half of the eye. X-ray mutagenesis led to the isolation of six revertants mapping to chromosome 2, which are wild type in a zeste(+) background, and three extreme derivatives, in which white gene expression is repressed in ventral regions of the eye as well. By Southern blot analyses the breakpoints of five of the revertants and one of the extreme derivatives were mapped in the flanking DNA bordering each side of the A(R)4-24 insertion. The revertants show some dorsal repression of white in the presence of z(1), and by this criterion each is only a partial revertant. The extreme derivatives act not only in cis, but also in trans to repress expression of A(R)4-24 and its various derivatives. We provide evidence that these trans effects are proximity-dependent effects, possibly mediated by pairing of gene copies, as they do not extend to copies of the white gene located elsewhere in the genome. We show that one extreme derivative, E1, is a small deletion spanning the insertion site at the 5' end of the white gene, and propose that the distance between a negative regulatory element in the 5' flanking DNA and the white promoter influences the degree of the repression. PMID:1732157

Stimulated by recent studies of superconductivity and magnetism with local and global broken inversion symmetry, we investigate the superconductivity in magnetic multipole states in locally noncentrosymmetric metals. We consider a one-dimensional zigzag chain with sublattice-dependent antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling and suppose three magnetic multipole orders: monopole order, dipole order, and quadrupole order. It is demonstrated that the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer state, the pair-density wave (PDW) state, and the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state are stabilized by these multipole orders, respectively. We show that the PDW state is a topological superconducting state specified by the nontrivial Z2 number and winding number. The origin of the FFLO state without macroscopic magnetic moment is attributed to the asymmetric band structure induced by the magnetic quadrupole order and spin-orbit coupling.

Discusses superconducting microelectronics based on the Josephson effect and its advantages over conventional integrated circuits in speed and sensitivity. Considers present uses in standards laboratories (voltage) and in measuring weak magnetic fields. Also considers future applications in superfast computer circuitry using Superconducting…

This study examined communication interaction patterns when one sibling had a developmental disability as well as the role of communication skills in sibling relationship quality. Thirty sibling dyads were categorized into one of three communication status groups: emerging, context-dependent, and independent communicators. Independent communicators and their siblings did not differ in terms of syntactic complexity but typically developing siblings dominated the interaction and exhibited greater lexical diversity regardless of communication status. Communication status did not impact the warmth/closeness, rivalry, or conflict in the sibling relationship, but siblings of independent communicators engaged in the greatest amount of helping and managing behaviors. These results represent a first step in understanding the role of communication skills in the sibling relationship for families of children with disabilities. PMID:24245732

A simple gauge model of superconductivity is presented. The seagull vertex term of this gauge model gives an attractive potential between electrons for the forming of Cooper pairs of superconductivity. This gauge model gives a unified description of superconductivity and magnetism including antiferromagnetism, pseudogap phenomenon, stripes phenomenon, paramagnetic Meissner effect, Type I and Type II supeconductivity and high-Tc superconductivity. The doping mechanism of superconductivity is found. It is shown that the critical temperature Tc is related to the ionization energies of elements and can be computed by a formula of Tc. For the high-Tc superconductors such as La2-xSrxCuO4, Y Ba2Cu3O7, and MgB2, the computational results of Tc agree with the experimental results.

We examine the similarities and differences between two widely used knowledge-based potentials, which are expressed as contact matrices (consisting of 210 elements) that gives a scale for interaction energies between the naturally occurring amino acid residues. These are the Miyazawa-Jernigan contact interaction matrix M and the potential matrix S derived by Skolnick J et al., 1997, Protein Sci 6:676-688. Although the correlation between the two matrices is good, there is a relatively large dispersion between the elements. We show that when Thr is chosen as a reference solvent within the Miyazawa and Jernigan scheme, the dispersion between the M and S matrices is reduced. The resulting interaction matrix B gives hydrophobicities that are in very good agreement with experiment. The small dispersion between the S and B matrices, which arises due to differing reference states, is shown to have dramatic effect on the predicted native states of lattice models of proteins. These findings and other arguments are used to suggest that for reliable predictions of protein structures, pairwise additive potentials are not sufficient. We also establish that optimized protein sequences can tolerate relatively large random errors in the pair potentials. We conjecture that three body interaction may be needed to predict the folds of proteins in a reliable manner. PMID:10048329

The dipolar compound Phthalazinium-dibenzoylmethylid (PDBM) was used as spectrally active molecule in order to analyze the molecular interactions in ternary solutions containing at least one protic solvent. In PDBM + protic solvent (1) + aprotic solvent (2) ternary solutions, PDBM can be involved both in universal and specific interactions reflected in solvatochromic effects. The protic solvent (or the solvent with the higher electric permittivity) was considered as being active from the interactions point of view. The content of the first solvation sphere of the studied ylid has been established on the basis of the statistical cell model of ternary solutions. The active solvent molecules are dominant in the first solvation sphere of the PDBM molecules. The difference between the interaction energies in the PDBM-active solvent (1) and PDBM-inactive solvent (2) molecular pairs has been determined for three binary solvents water + ethanol (W + E), propionic acid + chloroform (PA + C) and octanol + 1,2 dichloroethane (O + DCE). The hydrogen bond formation energy of the PDBM-protic solvent complex has been estimated in the binary solvents PA + C and O + DCE containing one protic (PA and O, respectively) and one aprotic solvent with close electro-optical parameters refractive index and electric permittivity of the components.

We report on the status of an electron RF-gun made of two superconductors: niobium and lead. The presented design combines the advantages of the RF performance of bulk niobium superconducting cavities and the reasonably high quantum efficiency of lead, as compared to other superconducting metals. The concept, mentioned in a previous paper, follows the attractive approach of all niobium superconducting RF-gun as it has been proposed by the BNL group. Measured values of quantum efficiency for lead at various photon energies, analysis of recombination time of photon-broken Cooper pairs for lead and niobium, and preliminary cold test results are discussed in this paper.

We report on the status of an electron RF-gun made of two superconductors: niobium and lead. The presented design combines the advantages of the RF performance of bulk niobium superconducting cavities and the reasonably high quantum efficiency of lead, as compared to other superconducting metals. The concept, mentioned in a previous paper, follows the attractive approach of all niobium superconducting RF-gun as it has been proposed by the BNL group. Measured values of quantum efficiency for lead at various photon energies, analysis of recombination time of photon-broken Cooper pairs for lead and niobium, and preliminary cold test results are discussed in this paper.

Nanoelectromechanical effects in superconducting weak links are considered. Three different superconducting devices are studied: (i) a single-Cooper-pair transistor, (ii) a transparent SNS junction, and (iii) a single-level quantum dot coupled to superconducting electrodes. The electromechanical coupling is due to electrostatic or magnetomotive forces acting on a movable part of the device. It is demonstrated that depending on the frequency of mechanical vibrations the electromechanical coupling could either suppress or enhance the Josephson current. Nonequilibrium effects associated with cooling of the vibrational subsystem or pumping energy into it at low bias voltages are discussed.

Superconductivity develops in metals upon the formation of a coherent macroscopic quantum state of electron pairs. Iron pnictides and chalcogenides are materials that have high superconducting transition temperatures. In this Review, we describe the advances in the field that have led to higher superconducting transition temperatures in iron-based superconductors and the wide range of materials that are used to form these superconductors. We summarize the essential aspects of the normal state and the mechanism for superconductivity. We emphasize the degree of electron–electron correlations and their manifestation in properties of the normal state. We examine the nature of magnetism, analyse its role in driving the electronic nematicity and discuss quantum criticality at the border of magnetism in the phase diagram. Finally, we review the amplitude and structure of the superconductingpairing, and survey the potential material settings for optimizing superconductivity.

The rotational spectrum of the weakly bound complex pentafluoropyridine·water has been investigated with pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. From the analysis of the rotational parameters of the parent species and of three water isotopologues, the structural arrangement of the adduct has been unambiguously established. The results show that the full ring fluorination of pyridine has a dramatic effect on its binding properties: It inverts the electron density distribution above the ring, creating a π-hole, with respect to the typical π-cloud of benzene and pyridine. In the complex the water moiety lies above the aromatic ring with the oxygen lone pairs pointing toward its center. This lone pair···π-hole interaction stabilizes the adduct, and it is more stable than the in-plane O-H···N hydrogen bond normally found in the complexes involving nitrogen heterocyclic aromatic rings. Evidence of a large amplitude motion involving the weakly bound water molecule has also been observed and discussed. PMID:27055098

Improving the understanding of strongly correlated quantum many-body systems such as gases of interacting atoms or electrons is one of the most important challenges in modern condensed matter physics, materials research, and chemistry. Enormous progress has been made in the past decades in developing both classical and quantum approaches to calculate, simulate, and experimentally probe the properties of such systems. In this work, we use a combination of classical and quantum methods to experimentally explore the properties of an interacting quantum gas by creating experimental realizations of continuous matrix product states—a class of states that has proven extremely powerful as a variational ansatz for numerical simulations. By systematically preparing and probing these states using a circuit quantum electrodynamics system, we experimentally determine a good approximation to the ground-state wave function of the Lieb-Liniger Hamiltonian, which describes an interacting Bose gas in one dimension. Since the simulated Hamiltonian is encoded in the measurement observable rather than the controlled quantum system, this approach has the potential to apply to a variety of models including those involving multicomponent interacting fields. Our findings also hint at the possibility of experimentally exploring general properties of matrix product states and entanglement theory. The scheme presented here is applicable to a broad range of systems exploiting strong and tunable light-matter interactions.

A magnetically levitated superconducting bearing includes a magnet (2) mounted on a shaft (12) that is rotatable around an axis of rotation and a Type II superconductor (6) supported on a stator (14) in proximity to the magnet (2). The superconductor (6) is positioned so that when it is cooled to its superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field, it interacts with the magnet (2) to produce an attractive force that levitates the magnet (2) and supports a load on the shaft (12). The interaction between the superconductor (6) and magnet(2) also produces surface screening currents (8) that generate a repulsive force perpendicular to the load. The bearing also has means for maintaining the superconductor at a temperature below its critical temperature (16, 18). The bearing could also be constructed so the magnet (2) is supported on the stator (14) and the superconductor (6) is mounted on the shaft (12). The bearing can be operated by cooling the superconductor (6) to its superconducting state in the presence of a magnetic field.

Nearly eight decades after Erwin Schrodinger proposed his famous cat paradox, the boundary between classical and quantum physics is becoming accessible to experimental study in condensed matter systems, in which macroscopic and microscopic degrees of freedom interact with each other. The cavity-embedded-Cooper pair transistor (cCPT) is an ideal candidate for such a study in that it is not only strongly and intrinsically nonlinear but also fully quantum mechanical. A novel technique, based on the circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture, is first introduced for applying a dc bias to a high-Q superconducting microwave cavity. The development and investigation of the cCPT system, in which a Cooper pair transistor acting as a single artificial atom is directly coupled to an on-chip dc-biased high-Q resonator, is then presented. Self-oscillations in the cCPT, internally driven by the ac Josephson effect, demonstrate the strong and phase coherent coupling between matter and light in the cCPT. Meanwhile, photons continually produced by the system are collected and characterized by quantum state tomography, which indicates the non-classical nature of the emitted light and the nonlinear quantum dynamics of the cCPT system.

We study quantum information processing using superpositions of Fock states in superconducting resonators as quantum d-level systems (qudits). A universal set of single and coupled logic gates is theoretically proposed for resonators coupled by superconducting circuits of Josephson junctions. These gates use experimentally demonstrated interactions and provide an attractive route to quantum information processing using harmonic oscillator modes.

This patent describes an apparatus. It comprises a rotatable support member; a pair of first magnets positioned at opposite ends of the support member, the magnets having axes of symmetry and being rotatable about the axes; a mass of a superconducting material positioned adjacent each first magnet so that based on current understanding each magnet is levitated from the mass of superconducting material by means of persistent currents induced in the mass of superconducting material by the first magnets.

In this work we propose a rapid and efficient method for the joint determination of nucleosides and nucleotides in dairy and non-dairy baby foods based on hydrophilic interaction chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry in the presence of diethylammonium (DEA) as a hydrophilic ion-pairing reagent (IP-HILIC-MS/MS). Sample treatment of the baby food included dilution with water and centrifugal ultrafiltration (CUF) with an additional washing step that notably improved the global performance of the process. Later dilution of the extract with acetonitrile allowed adequate separation in the HILIC system. With the proposed treatment, we obtained extraction recoveries higher than 80% and, additionally, no matrix effects were observed. The CUF-IP-HILIC-MS/MS method was validated according to the 2002/657/EC decision and was used for the quantification of nucleotides and nucleosides in sixteen samples of commercial baby foods. PMID:27283702

The asymptotic freedom of QCD suggests that at high density - where one forms a Fermi surface at very high momenta - weak coupling methods apply. These methods suggest that chiral symmetry is restored and that an instability toward color triplet condensation (color superconductivity) sets in. Here I attempt, using variational methods, to estimate these effects more precisely. Highlights include demonstration of a negative pressure in the uniform density chiral broken phase for any non-zero condensation, which we take as evidence for the philosophy of the MIT bag model; and demonstration that the color gap is substantial - several tens of MeV - even at modest densities. Since the superconductivity is in a pseudoscalar channel, parity is spontaneously broken.